A Love For All Seasons
by kisa-kara-chan
Summary: Kazumi Shirozaki has been in a coma for a year, and her secret boyfriend and his friends have just snapped her out of it. She decides to return to Ouran Academy, but it seems her relationship with her BF may have changed. Will it last the seasons? OCxMori
1. Mori's Secret Girlfriend

**Well... here's a new Ouran High School Host Club fanfic I'm starting, well... started already. I'm already working on the sixth chapter, but I was curious whether this may be worth posting on fanfiction. So... please do me a huge favour and review! I need to know what you(the readers), think. **

**BTW, for those of you reading Chuck Versus NCIS, I will not be updating for a while as I need to 'research' up some things on the characters so I don't screw up even more than I have already. :D Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope I'll be able to update soon!**

**Anyway, so please R&R for this story!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me.**

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Chapter One: Mori's Secret Girlfriend

_Spring_

15-year-old Haruhi Fujioka opened the door to the Ouran High School #3 Music Room, only to be greeted by a big "Welcome".

Five handsome young men were there to greet her, one sitting in a fancy chair. All of them were dressed in black suits and tuxedos. Only she was wearing the boys' school uniform.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Haruhi apologized. She was pretending to be a boy so that as a host, she could pay off her debt of 8 million yen. She wasn't too surprised by their fancy formalwear, considering the club enjoyed cosplaying a lot.

A small boy with blonde hair smiled, giving her a cute childish impression. "Don't worry about it, Haru-chan. We're not having any guests come in today," Mitsukuni 'Honey' Haninozuka assured.

"With all due respect, Honey-senpai, why?" she implored. Then she noticed something rather odd. "By the way, where's Mori-senpai?"

Tamaki Suoh, the founder and king of the Ouran Host Club, sighed and his glittering eyes dimmed. "I'm afraid Mori-senpai is off downstairs picking up some lilies that he ordered."

"Um… Is there a _reason_ why Mori-senpai is doing that?" she asked.

"Today's the anniversary of his girlfriend's death," Kaoru Hitachiin answered, "She died one year ago."

The 15-year-old was taken aback, blinking surprised brown eyes. Takashi Morinozuka had a girlfriend?!

"You must be thinking that how did a silent guy like Mori-senpai get a girlfriend," Hikaru Hitachiin, Kaoru's twin brother, guessed.

Haruhi nodded.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "You all _do_ know that she's not dead, right?" he added, flicking back some of his black bangs.

Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru stepped back, surprise written all over their faces. Only Honey looked unsurprised, as did Haruhi, probably only because she didn't actually know the girl.

"If she's alive, why hasn't she returned to the academy?" Tamaki demanded.

"Kazumi has been in a coma for the past year. She's being taken care of by some specialist doctors at an Ootori hospital. We needed to keep it quiet that she was alive. Mori-senpai has been visiting her every week for at least an hour. We're still unsure when she's going to wake up, or even _if_ she's going to wake, but Mori-senpai's visits are helping," the vice-president explained.

"Today we were going to go visit her grave," Kaoru began, glaring in Kyoya's general direction.

"But since she's _not_ dead, we're most likely visiting her with Mori-senpai in the hospital," Hikaru finished.

"So you knew the whole time, Honey-senpai?" Haruhi questioned, noting his lack of surprise.

The short and young-looking 18-year-old nodded. "Takashi told me after I asked him one time if he was okay because I was told he had gone to the hospital," he explained.

"He really loves her," Tamaki said quietly, "he's very loyal to her, considering he's never looked for another girl after Kazumi-senpai went into a coma. But… then again, none of us really _have_ been looking for a girlfriend. Kinda eliminates the point of being a host… _kinda_…"

Haruhi placed a thoughtful hand on her chin. "But… did Mori-senpai remain in the host club, considering he had a girlfriend?" she asked thoughtfully.

They all nodded.

"They kept their relationship secret, and normally she'd come by and request him as her host. Ironic, really," Hikaru answered, "the ladies dream about having one of us as their boyfriend. For Kazumi-senpai, her boyfriend _was_ Mori-senpai."

Her eyes sparkled. "That's so cool! Where did they meet and how did they meet?"

"Takashi saved her from a bunch of 2nd years who attacked her. When the 2nd years tried to get revenge on him, she took his place and saved his life," Honey explained, "She nearly died. The doctors managed to revive her, but she was trapped in a coma. Ever since… Takashi's been visiting her at the hospital every week just to be with her." His honey-brown eyes dimmed. "He's still hoping that there's hope of her waking up."

"We've done all we can," Kaoru sighed rather depressingly, "I assume Kyoya and Honey-senpai have done all they can to help. They probably didn't want Mori-senpai to receive the full brunt of it. Kazumi-senpai isn't the richest of people, and her status stands just above a commoner. She lives on her own in an apartment as her parents are elsewhere on business. She moved here for schooling."

Tamaki looked over onto a nearby table, and on it were five huge vases of various flowers. "We've already bought our flowers for her, and we just as bad want her to wake up. We know it would mean a lot to senpai if she did. But we're not sure when we're able to tip the scale to wake her up," he stated.

Suddenly, the door opened and Takashi Morinozuka walked into the music room, a vase of white and yellow lilies in one arm. A grave look was on his face. Out of all of them (excluding Haruhi), he was the only one dressed casually.

"Are you okay, Mori-senpai? What's wrong?" Hikaru inquired curiously.

"Bad news," he answered in a low voice, "If Kazumi doesn't awake by tomorrow noon, the doctors are going to cut her life support. It has nothing to do with money, and there's nothing I can do to stop them. Apparently they are under orders to do so."

"I'll speak to them," Kyoya said, pulling out his cell phone and quickly dialling, "Yes, it's me. Can you give me information on Kazumi Shirozaki? Yes… uh huh… excuse me? Who gave you authorization?!" He scowled as his grip tightened around the phone. "Yes… very well… I understand. Thank you." Then he hung up, an irritated look on his face. "I'm afraid Mori-senpai is right. It seems my father has decided to cut her life support. I'm unsure about the motive, but sadly enough, I can't override my father's decisions."

"Come on, let's go visit her," Haruhi suggested, "She might wake up sometime soon. The guys told me everything. I'm really sorry, Mori-senpai."

The 18-year-old forced a smile. "Thank you," he said before turning to the others, "Let's go."

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**So... please review and tell me what you think so far (also if you could please tell me how I'm doing on characters, that would be great)! THANK YOU SO MUCH (in advance) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	2. Meet Kazumi Shirozaki

**Okay, here's the next chapter! Hope you like it! I strongly apologize if anyone seems a little too OCC in this chapter, and please tell me how I could improve them. Thanks a lot to my first (and so far only) reviewer, ~Angels Messenger, for reviewing the last chapter! Anyway, without any further delay, enjoy! **

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Two: Meet Kazumi Shirozaki

The Ouran High School Host Club walked into the Ootori hospital room 126, where Haruhi saw a young black-haired woman lay in the hospital bed, dressed in a white hospital gown. Her eyes were closed, and her face was somewhat pale, even though her skin was fairly tanned, just a few shades lighter than Mori's own skin. Many various hospital devices were hooked up to her, and the loud beep of the heart monitor assured them that she was alive. Her long, slender fingers were entwined with one another on her stomach.

Mori went over and sat by her bedside after setting the vase of lilies on the large table in her hospital room. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips tightly against hers, slipping a hand under the back of her head so he could pull her closer. "Kazumi, I'm here…" he muttered to her as the rest of them placed their bouquets on the table with Mori's.

Haruhi was a little taken aback. Their normally quiet and cool Mori-senpai was showing his deep and true emotions towards a girl.

"We've all missed you, Kazumi-chan," Honey said, prancing to her bedside and holding her slightly cold hand.

"Life in the club hasn't really ever returned to normal ever since you left us," Tamaki added, walking over and kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"I have to admit, I've missed your plans and you helping me out with my calculations," Kyoya added, adjusting his glasses so that it hid his eyes, "Things haven't been the same since you went into a coma."

"I-It's nice to meet you, Kazumi," Haruhi stammered, "I-I'm sorry that you had to end up in a coma for a year."

"The same goes for us," Hikaru and Kaoru said in union.

Mori took her hand in his. "Kazumi, you remember Tamaki, Kyoya, Mitsukuni and the twins from the host club," he stated, even though he knew there was a possibility she could not hear him, "This other one with us is Haruhi Fujioka, a new first-year. He wanted to see you and today marks one year since you've gone into a coma, so I brought them with me. You've got to wake up soon, Kazumi. Time is running out. I'm afraid you have to wake up by noon tomorrow, or else the doctors are cutting your life support."

"In other words," Tamaki said, his violet eyes dimming, "you're going to die if you don't wake up."

"And we can't let that happen. You know Takashi loves you, as we know you love him," Honey added.

"We've done all we can to help," Kyoya said, "But now, it's up to you."

Mori brushed black bangs away from Kazumi's forehead before kissing it. "Wake up soon, okay?" he muttered, "I love you."

Gently, Honey took her other hand and whispered a few soothing words into her ear. Then he kissed her on the cheek before hurrying over to Haruhi and pulling her over to Kazumi's bedside. "You should say something to her. It might get her to wake up. The rest of us except Takashi will be outside waiting for you," he said, reluctantly dragging Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru and Kyoya out of the room and closing it behind them.

"Uh… well… I think it was pretty brave of you to save Mori-senpai's life. It must have taken a lot of courage," she complimented quietly, "It's sad that you had to suffer the consequences for it, even though all you were doing was trying to protect the one you loved. Even though I hardly know you at all, I think I can see that you have a kind heart."

Mori smiled, looking down with sad eyes at his girlfriend. He lifted her hand and let his lips brush the soft skin before clenching it tightly in his own.

Haruhi looked over at the third-year student, sadness and pity reflecting in her eyes. Suddenly, she noticed that Kazumi's other hand twitched. She looked over at her face and saw soft chocolate eyes were staring back at her.

"T-Takashi?" her voice came out as a small croak as she glanced over at her boyfriend.

Immediately his head snapped up and looked at her. "Kazumi, you're awake!" he exclaimed quietly.

She gave him a small nod then looked at Haruhi. "It's nice to meet you too, Haruhi Fujioka," she greeted in a whisper, "and thank you."

The first-year student was taken aback. Had she heard her while she was still in her coma? She looked at Mori. "Senpai, I'll go get a nurse and bring her some water," she informed, "You stay here with Kazumi-senpai."

He gave a single nod. "Thanks," he responded as she exited the room.

"What happened?" Tamaki inquired.

"Kazumi-senpai has awoken from her coma. I left her with Mori-senpai to go fetch a nurse and some water for her," she answered.

"Wait, did you just say that Kazumi-senpai is awake?" Kyoya queried in amazement, his dazzling onyx eyes wide.

She nodded. "She just opened her eyes a few minutes ago. Mori-senpai seemed really happy," she explained, "I have to admit, I was a little surprised."

"Do you have any idea of what could have woken her up?" Honey inquired, "Do you think it might have been you and Takashi? Or do you think she woke up because all of us came to visit her?"

She shrugged. "Maybe both," she suggested, "but she woke up after I talked to her and after Mori-senpai kissed her hand."

"Hmm… maybe it might actually be all of us together," Tamaki guessed, one hand on his chin which the other on his elbow in a thinking manner, "Or else it might be my dashing good looks."

Hikaru and Kaoru sweat dropped. "I highly doubt it," they agreed in union.

"Come on, let's go fetch Kazumi-senpai a nurse and a glass of water," Kyoya sighed and they began to walk off.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Kazumi, how do you feel?" Mori asked quietly, still holding her hand as she sat up while removing the breathing tubes.

Her chocolate-brown eyes looked down. "I-I don't know. Every time you've visited, I can hear your voice in my head, speaking to me, telling me all your adventures and stuff while you're in the host club, so I don't think there's any catching-up to do. It just… feels so weird to be awake again," she explained, "I feel a little like Snow White, being awakened by her prince charming. But then again, life isn't a fairytale."

"I've missed seeing your eyes for the last year," he said, lifting her chin up to look at him. He rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes as she closed hers, "As well as your presence."

She opened her eyes and smiled. "And _I_ miss having you lay by my side as we sleep. Makes me feel safe, knowing that I'm with you," she said.

Gently, he held her face as he placed a kiss on her lips. She sunk into his kiss, kissing back passionately. With kind but firm hands, he pushed her down on the hospital bed and half-lay on top of her, deepening the kiss. One of his hands remained on her face while the other was entangled in her hair. Then he pulled away, sitting back up while smiling at her.

"Kazumi," he muttered to her, "I'll never leave you."

"Don't make promises that you might not be able to keep," she warned, "but I appreciate the effort of trying." She chuckled, just as the rest of the host club came into the room, bright and cheerful smiles on their faces.

"Kazu-chan!" Honey exclaimed, running over and tackle-hugging her tightly.

"Hey Honey, it's good to see you again!" she replied, hugging him back. Then she looked over at Tamaki and Kyoya as Honey let go and returned to Haruhi's side. "W-Wow, have _you_ two grown. How are you both doing?" she greeted as Tamaki handed her a glass of water, "Thank you."

"Better, now that we know that you're alive and well," Kyoya said, "Apparently Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru were told the lie that you had died one year ago. Either that or they were too dense to figure it out."

"Hey!" the three of them exclaimed.

Tamaki shook his head and sat by her other side, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "How are you feeling, Kazumi-senpai?" he asked.

"Well… a lot better than when I had first gotten _into_ my coma a year ago," she answered, "How has the Ouran Host Club been doing?"

"We've gotten a new host. Kazumi-senpai, this is Haruhi Fujioka, a first-year honour student," he introduced.

Her chocolate eyes scanned Haruhi over before determining, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're a girl, aren't you? Dressed in the boys' uniforms?"

Haruhi and the twins froze up in utter surprise. How the heck did she know that? Did Mori-senpai tell her?

"You still have a good judge of character, don't you?" Tamaki teased, sighing, "Too bad you can't be in the host club, you'd be popular as ever. Not as much so as me, of course. My request rate, after all, _is_ 70%."

"Actually, it's dropped now," Kyoya informed as a matter-of-fact, "Ever since Haruhi joined as a host, _your_ request rate has dropped as _hers_ go up."

His mouth dropped open wide in shock and the next thing anyone knew, he was huddled up in the suddenly-dark corner, moping.

Kazumi giggled. "That's Tamaki for you," she teased before turning back to Mori, "Still a man of few words, huh, Takashi?"

All he could do was smile back at her, unintentionally emphasizing her point. A brown-haired nurse walked into the room, and she blushed as she saw six attractive young men by her patient's bedside. Out of all she only recognized Kyoya and Mori from the crowd. "It's good to see you finally awake, Kazumi-chan," she greeted as she pulled out the IV's from Kazumi's arm, "I've been looking after you for the past year while you've been here. My name is-"

"Izumi," she finished, "Don't worry. During the time of my coma I've been able to listen to everyone that speaks to me, so I don't need to worry about catching up."

The nurse blinked in surprise. "That's surprising," she replied, "Are these fine young men your friends?"

She nodded. "Haven't seen them in a while," Kazumi answered jokingly, "It's good to know that they still care about me. When can I be released?"

Izumi looked through the papers on her clipboard. "Well… you seem to have fully recovered, and so I think you just need to have a guardian or patron sign these release papers and you'll be right on your way," she responded.

Kyoya walked over to her and said, "I can take care of those, if you don't mind."

"Ah! T-Thank you, Sir," she stammered as he took the clipboard from her to sign the release form.

"Thanks, Kyoya," Kazumi thanked, "You don't have to do that for me."

"It's no problem," he replied, handing back the clipboard, "Come on, let's get out of here. We'll have the flowers delivered back to your apartment."

"Kazumi-chan, you might be a bit fatigued for a while, and you will find your joints a little stiff because of your lack of movement for the last year," Izumi warned, "its best if you don't stress yourself for the first week."

In one swift movement, Mori swept Kazumi into his arms, holding her tight against him. "Come, let's take you home."

"My home or your home?" she inquired quietly, only meant for his ears.

He smiled. "Kisa _is_ at my home at the moment," he answered indirectly.

"Ah… is my beloved cat doing well?" she asked.

He nodded. "She has a litter of 6 kittens," he informed, making her eyes widened, "I've given one to Tamaki, Mitsukuni, and the twins. Haruhi and Kyoya couldn't."

"Let's head off. It would be nice to reconcile with you," Kyoya announced.

"We can get to know you better too, considering we've haven't talked for the past year," Kaoru added.

"Okay, thank you," Izumi said, "Take care."

"We will," they all replied before leaving the Ootori hospital.

_It's good to have you here with me again_, Mori thought, a protective arm draped around her as they sat together in the limo, _I'll do my best to protect you from now on, I promise._

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**Please Review! They would be much appreciated!**


	3. Welcome Home

**Well, here's the next chapter for A Love For All Seasons. I'm in school right now, in DP (Digital Productions) class right now, and I'm bored as hell, considering there are only two classes left (including this one). I've finished all my assignments and handed in my final project and got my mark and yada, yada, yada.**

**Okay, enough with the rambling, let's get down to business. Just to let you all know, I wrote this chapter BEFORE I read the 47-48 chapter of Ouran High School Host Club with the fight between Kaoru and Hikaru going to Honey and Mori for help and advice, so I apologize if things may not adjust with the tone that the manga has left with you people/readers/hopefully reviewers. And when I mean 'tone', I speak of the Morinozuka estate. The idea that I have of the estate in here is different than the one depicted in the manga, so I strongly apologize if I confuse you.**

**Please review and let me know about how I'm doing character-wise! I need to know whether I'm keeping everyone in character and making sure that I'm not making anyone too OCC. **

**Anyway, please enjoy! Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Three: Welcome Home

"We're home," Takashi announced as the limo carrying all of them drove to the Morinozuka Estate gates.

"Yay! We're home at Takashi's estate!" Honey exclaimed excitedly, "Welcome home, Kazu-chan!"

She chuckled, brushing away her black bangs. "I'm surprised that my hair is still the same length as it was when I went into a coma."

"I brought in a hairdresser every few months to make sure it would remain the same length," Mori told her in a monotone, "I knew you didn't like your hair any longer."

"Thank you, Takashi," Kazumi thanked, "You've been taking care of me the whole time since I went into a coma, and you have no idea how much that means to me."

"Curious, but how old are you?" Hikaru asked.

"Seventeen," she answered, "my birthday's on May 23."

"Isn't that just about 4 days from now?" Kaoru informed.

She blinked, looking down at her folded hands with sad eyes. "I-I didn't know that it had been so long… I-I can't believe it's been a whole year…Just like that… Everything must have changed a lot…"

Haruhi placed a hand on hers. "Hey, don't worry. I used to think like that when my mother died when I was 5, but my dad was always there to try and make things better. Anyway, things around here haven't changed that much."

"Awww… you're so cute…" Tamaki cooed; his cheeks pink with 'fatherly love'.

"Not you, idiot," she snapped. In return, the host club king went into his dark corner.

Mori kissed Kazumi on the forehead. "Haruhi's right. I don't mind that you've been gone a whole year, but as long as you're back."

Honey's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Hey Tama-chan, are we going to have a party for Kazumi's birthday?! A dance, maybe even, huh, can we Tama-chan, can we?!"

Mentally, Kazumi sweat-dropped, slowly shrinking away from the others, a little embarrassed. Mori noticed this and gently took hold of her arm, which made her look up. He gave her a small smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Of course we will!" Tamaki shouted determinedly, his fist waving in the air, "We will make sure Mori-senpai's beloved Kazumi-senpai gets the best birthday party _ever_!"

"Considering we couldn't celebrate last year's, of course," Hikaru added.

She sighed before Haruhi asked her, "What's your favourite colour, Kazumi-senpai?"

"I'd have to say blue," she answered as the limo stopped, "It's a calm and soothing colour, and it reminds me of the sky."

Tamaki immediately tackled her. "Awww! That was so cute! It was so excellent!" he cried, squeezing her tight, "You're so cute, Onee-chan!"

"Eh… what's with the 'Onee-chan' thing?" Kaoru queried curiously, "I thought it was creepy enough that he was calling Kyoya-senpai 'Mommy'."

"Please don't remind me of that," Kyoya said quietly, suppressing a sigh.

"Oh… he sees me like an older sister," Kazumi answered, trying to pry the younger student off.

The limo door opened and they all stepped out and looked at the large estate that belonged to the Morinozuka's. Boy, it was _big_, with a water fountain in front, and several stairs that ascended to the main entry doors.

"Wow… this place hasn't changed a bit," Kazumi commented, "At least, there's no changes that I recognize." She took a cautious step forward, and her knees buckled underneath her. Swiftly, Mori and Tamaki grabbed her before she fell, supporting her along the way. Takashi's arm went around her waist as Tamaki supported her by letting her arm go around his shoulder.

"All of a sudden you just became a gentleman," Hikaru commented.

"Isn't he acting more like when he is when he's putting on a show for the ladies?" Kaoru corrected.

Haruhi shook her head. "Guys, be nice. Tamaki-senpai's being nice to her because he likes her. She's like a sister to him," she defended.

Tamaki's face went red as Honey inquired, "You're right! How did you know?"

She laughed, "Because why would he call her 'Onee-chan' if he didn't respect her as an older sister figure? It was kinda obvious, senpai."

Takashi's dark eyes grew worried. "Are you okay, Kazumi?" he asked quietly, "Are you feeling well?"

She forced a smile. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just a little lightheaded, that's all," she reassured.

Suddenly, a young boy who looked a lot like Mori ran out of the house and towards them, arms extended. "Kazumi-chan!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

The dark-haired girl giggled before replying, "It's good to see you again too, Satoshi."

"I heard everything!" the younger Morinozuka explained, "and I'm so glad you're back! You should have seen how depressed my brother was while you were in a coma."

Kazumi looked up at Mori with guilt-ridden eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you to worry about me," she apologized.

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm always a little concerned about you. You're so cute that I don't want you to have any harm." The others (except for Honey and Satoshi) were a little taken aback.

"Takashi, are you tired?" Honey inquired.

He blinked; his expression neutral. "A little bit, I think," he admitted.

Haruhi groaned quietly, "No wonder he's a little flirtatious."

"Uh huh," the twins agreed, "Remember the first time he was sleepy? And that was _during_ the time the host club was open too!" Tamaki, Haruhi, Kaoru and Hikaru shivered at the memory.

Kazumi looked back from Mori and Tamaki. "Guys, I think I'm a little better now. I can walk. Gotta practice, you know," she told them.

Hesitantly, both boys removed their arms supporting her, and she took a deep breath before taking a few steps forward.

"See? I'm fine," she assured, looking back at her friends.

Haruhi gave her a genuine smile. "Don't work yourself too hard, Kazumi-senpai. I don't think Mori-senpai would like it if you get injured."

"Takashi, if you're sleepy, you should take a nap," Honey said, "While the rest of us catch up with Kazumi-chan, you can take a nap."

He nodded wordlessly as they went inside, Satoshi leading the way. "So Kazumi-chan, how do you feel?" he inquired, "Do you feel tired or anything, cause I'm sure my brother won't mind if you take a nap with him."

She flushed a bright red. "U-Uh, n-no, I'm fine, thanks," she stammered, embarrassed. They went over to a table setting similar to the one in the third music room.

"Please, take a seat," Satoshi offered, "Taka; you wanna just take a nap on the couch or something? We'll be right here if you need anything."

He nodded, lying down on the matted red lounge chair, a pillow propped behind his head and his eyes closed. Almost instantly he was asleep. Meanwhile, the others sat down in the various chairs, except for Satoshi, who brought over some cake, other sweets, and tea.

"So… you really live here, Satoshi?" Haruhi asked curiously.

The younger-looking version of Mori nodded gleefully. "Yep! This is where my bro and I live!" he exclaimed, setting a cup of tea in front of each of them, as well as a slice of cake.

Kazumi took a deep drink of her tea. "Mmm… just like old times, eh Satoshi?" she joked casually.

The younger Morinozuka smiled, sitting down at the table with the rest of them. "Yep. Except Taka wouldn't be taking a nap right now." He laughed, as did Kazumi and Honey.

Both Hikaru and Kaoru cocked their heads to the side. "Um… is there a reason why you two are acting like nothing really happened for the last year?" they asked.

"Well… I don't think we would want to remember about what's past," Tamaki answered for them, "Its painful enough knowing we went through a whole school year and summer without her. She spent the last, last summer with us; the year when Kyoya and I just entered high school. The same year we grew to know Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai, and you two."

Haruhi looked over at the napping Mori. "I wonder what he could be dreaming about," she thought out loud.

Kazumi chuckled. "Can you ever figure out what he's thinking?" she queried.

"A-Ah… no…" she admitted, catching onto the drift.

She looked down into her teacup. "Sometimes even I can't tell what he's thinking, and I'm his girlfriend," she stated, "and well… sometimes I just feel a little distant from him when that happens. Good news is, I can tell when he's hiding something from me or not. I suspect only Honey knows what Mori is thinking most of the time."

All of a sudden, she felt a small weight leap onto her lap. She looked down to see her sandy-coloured tabby female cat, Kisa. The cat purred and brushed herself against her master and friend.

"Kisa!" Kazumi exclaimed, stroking the feline, "It's good to see you again."

A series of tiny mews were heard from the floor, and they looked to see three still-small kittens staring up at them with large blue eyes.

"Awww…" Honey cooed, "They're so cute!"

Haruhi smiled. "Yeah, they are kinda cute, aren't they?"

"Yes," Satoshi agreed, "Taka's been taking good care of them."

Kazumi glanced over at her sleeping boyfriend and smiled. "I'll thank him when he wakes up," she said, scratching her cat behind the ears.

"Still…" Haruhi said, "I wonder what he could be dreaming about." What indeed…

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**Well... here's a hint for you, Haruhi. It's. Not. Good. **

**Please review and I'll update as soon as I can!**

**Thank you! Hope to hear from you soon!**


	4. The Nightmares and the Memories

**So... here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!**

**I know there's a lot of cheese in here, and the characters may be a little OCC. But please let me know how I'm doing on that!**

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Four: The Nightmares and the Memories

_Mori was taking Kazumi out on a date and they had just finished having a delicious lunch. They were all alone in the middle of the street. No one else was there, and the whole place seemed to be a little deserted. Both were dressed rather casually, and Kazumi carried a small black leather purse with her._

_"So… what do you want to do next, Mori?" she inquired._

_"Doesn't matter. How about you? Anywhere you want to go?" he answered in a low voice._

_She shook her head. Suddenly, several guys dressed in completely black outfits with black ski masks ran over to them, surrounding them completely. One of them held a gun. _

_Immediately, Takashi pushed Kazumi behind him and eyed the men precariously. "What do you want?" he demanded in a threatening tone._

_"Give me the girl!"The man with the gun exclaimed. _

_"Stay behind me," Mori ordered quietly, "and when I give the signal, run." _

_"Okay," she responded, pressing herself up close to him, "What about you?" _

_"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," he said, "Just go when I tell you to."_

_Without warning, three of the guys grabbed Mori and pinned his arms behind his back and broke him down to his knees. For some odd reason, all of his strength and his training deserted him, and he couldn't fight back. Two of the guys grabbed Kazumi and she desperately tried to twist away. They held onto her arms tightly so she couldn't escape._

_"Take the purse! Just let us go!" she cried out, "What do you want with me anyway?! There's nothing to take!"_

_The man with the gun, the leader, obviously, grinned as he raised his gun, still standing several meters away from her. "You're wrong about that. There _is_ something else I need to take." _

_"Kazumi!" Mori hissed helplessly, attempting to struggle against their attackers._

_Her brown eyes widened as she gasped in realization. The man cocked the gun as his henchman let her go of her arms. "Your life." He pulled the trigger, firing three shots into Kazumi's chest, one of them piercing through the regions of her heart. _

_"NO!" Takashi yelled, suddenly effortlessly breaking out of the attackers' grips and running to catch his fallen girlfriend, "Kazumi!"_

_Immediately after Takashi broke free, the dark figures ran off into multiple directions, making it impossible for the police to track down. Now only Takashi and his fallen love were in the streets._

_Kazumi looked up at him with soulful chocolate eyes as he began to lower her weakening body onto his lap. Blood leaked from the three wounds in her chest, soaking into Mori's own shirt. He had sat her on his lap, her head resting against his shoulder, his fingers entwined with hers. He cried out for help, but no answer came. "T-T-Takashi," she breathed; her voice raspy._

_"Kazumi," he responded, his eyes desperate and threatening to spill over with heartbreaking tears, "It's okay, you'll be alright." _

_She blinked at him, the pain in her eyes reflecting the sadness that was the truth. "I-I'm sorry, Mori… I-I don't t-think… I-I'll make it…" she whispered._

_He clutched her closer against him, resting his chin on the top of her head. "No, Kazumi. You can't die. I'm the one who should be sorry. It's my fault. I should have protected you better," he said guiltily, "I love you."_

_"I-I love you, t-too…" she breathed, her voice growing quieter as her eyes began to close, "I-I always h-have… I-I'm sorry…"_

_He looked back at her. "Kazumi, please, you have to live. Just hang on. Don't die on me," he begged, pressing his lips against hers, "I love you, Kazumi Shirozaki, and I always will."_

_The 17-year-old gave him a small smile; before he saw her eyes glaze over and roll back, right before her eyelids drooped closed. Her head fell limply against his shoulder, and her hand dropped in his. Her blood continued to seep into the fabric of his shirt as he clutched her growing-cold body tightly against him._

_"No, no, no!" he cried in agony, holding her desperately in his arms, "Kazumi! Kazumi!! Kazumi!!! KAZUMI!!!!" _

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"Mori, wake up! Mori!" Kazumi shouted, shaking her boyfriend desperately as he was crying out in his sleep.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he panted hard, sitting up.

"Takashi, are you okay?!" Honey exclaimed, looking at his cousin worriedly.

He rested a hand on his forehead. "Y-Yeah," he muttered, "I'm fine."

"Taka-bro? You okay?" Satoshi inquired.

He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck and sighed, "Yeah."

Kazumi wasn't convinced and placed a concerned hand on his chest, moving closer and looking up at him. "Mori?" she said quietly.

Immediately, he pulled her tightly against his chest, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other hand was on the back of her head, pressing her cheek tightly against his chest. She was surprised by his sudden act, and she glanced up at him before wrapping her arms around him in return. "Takashi, what's wrong? Is something the matter? W-Why were you yelling out my name?"

His breath stilled as he realized that he must have cried out during his nightmare. "I-I'm sorry, Kazumi. You must be so worried," he apologized, sighing as he pulled away, "I must be acting a little weird."

"Is something bothering you, Mori-senpai?" Tamaki asked, gazing at them with blue-purple eyes.

The third-year student shook his head. "I'm fine," he responded.

His girlfriend was not convinced. "Please, Mori, tell me what's wrong," she begged quietly.

He remained silent while looking away and she knew that he was hiding something from them, and it worried her a lot. But most of all, it broke her heart. She had the sinking feeling that he didn't trust her anymore like he used to. She walked away and mumbled, "I'm gonna go change." Within moments, she left the room.

"Will you tell us what's wrong, Mori-senpai?" Tamaki inquired.

He shook his head.

"Kazu-chan seems sad," Honey stated the obvious, "Maybe you should go talk to her, Takashi."

The strong and silent host club member remained just that; strong and silent. He avoided all of their gazes, and Satoshi sighed, "Come on, Taka, you should go talk to her."

Instead, the older Morinozuka walked and sat down at the table, pouring himself some tea and sipping at it while gazing longingly into the teacup.

Honey looked at Kyoya with large, pleading eyes. "Isn't there anything we can do, Kyo-chan?"

"I'm afraid not. Only Mori-senpai can heal her heart now," he said, still writing on his clipboard, "She has a sensitive and fragile heart, if I do recall correctly."

Hikaru and Kaoru popped up and said, "Should we go check up on her?"

Tamaki sighed, brushing back his blonde bangs, "I'd rather you not. As I suppose Mori-senpai feels the same. Maybe _I _should go talk to her, if that's okay with you, Mori-senpai."

"Leave her," he responded.

"Are you sure, bro?" Satoshi asked, "It seems a little harsh. After all, she _did_ she come out of the hospital just not a few hours ago."

He didn't respond, and the rest of them hesitantly sat back down, except for Kyoya of course, who still remained calm and impassive.

Kisa leaped up onto the table and sat down right behind Mori's teacup, licking her clean paws before staring at him with golden feline eyes. She meowed once and he sighed quietly.

"So, what are we going to do for Kazu-chan's birthday party?" Honey asked.

"Party and dance," Tamaki answered bluntly, "What do you think?"

"Done and done," Hikaru and Kaoru agreed, grinning cheerfully.

"The idea sounds good," Kyoya said, "Its fine with me. Might actually be a little fun, if you ask me." _But a lot more fun if something interesting happened,_ he thought evilly, _Hmm… I wonder what I could plan…_

"Well… I think that the party and dance is a great idea," Haruhi stated, "I hope I still remember how to waltz. Probably I will, I suppose."

Immediately, Tamaki was at her side, looking at her with big puppy eyes. "Can I help you practise? Can I, can I?!" he begged.

"Eh… you'd be a pretty tall girl for her to dance with," Honey commented, "Or should Haruhi play the girl?"

"_Play_ the girl?" Haruhi grumbled, "I _am_ a girl, remember?"

"Of course you are, my beloved secret little princess," Tamaki teased, "And of _course_ you'll be the girl. I'll just help you out."

"But what good will is it if I'm still pretending to be a boy? I wouldn't be able to play my part if I had to be the girl," she argued.

The host club king froze in realization. "You're right…" he breathed, "NOO!!! That's terrible!"

Kazumi walked back into the room, wearing a beautiful blue dress that reached just below her knees. White ribbons laced the dress, and it shaped her curves perfectly. Her chocolate eyes were strangely neutral, not giving away her hidden emotions, and her hands clasped in front of her. Her dark black hair streamed into gentle waves. Her face was hard and set, and they all looked at her in both amazement and even a little fear. Except for Mori, who refused to look up at her in fear of what he would see in her eyes.

"W-Wow… Senpai, you look amazing," Hikaru breathed.

She dipped her head in thanks. "I'm surprised that this still fits," she commented, looking herself over, "Not to mention that you kept the whole wardrobe full of clothes you gave me, Mori. Thank you."

The tallest member of the host club looked at her, blinking. Then he rose from his chair, crossing the room in a few strides and gathering Kazumi into his arms, holding her tightly against him. "Kazumi, I'm sorry. I'll just… tell you later…" he whispered into her ear, "I love you."

"I love you too," she mumbled back, "Sorry I just walked out."

He gazed into her eyes before resting a hand on her face and kissing her passionately as he wrapped his other arm tightly around her waist. Behind the two high-school students, Satoshi, Honey, Haruhi, Tamaki, Hikaru and Kaoru 'awwwed' in union at the romantically entangled couple.

"Takashi has a girlfriend," Honey sang gleefully, "It's so cute!"

Gently, Mori pulled away from her, resting his forehead on hers. "Kazumi," he muttered lovingly, "I apologize for hurting you so. I didn't mean to."

"Thank you," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him once more before turning to the others, "Now, Tamaki, what were you yelling about that was just so terrible?"

He cringed. "Uh… the party we want to throw you," he mentioned.

She shook her head. "You guys don't have to go through all that trouble to throw me a party. I'm perfectly fine spending it just hanging out with you guys," she informed.

"Absolutely not!" Tamaki snapped, "The girlfriend of any host club member will receive the best of treatments! Even if it _is_ something like a birthday party."

"Thanks… you make it sound unimportant," she commented, her voice somewhat sarcastic. Then she laughed, "Haha, just kidding. Thanks for the support, Tamaki. I really appreciate it."

"Well… I believe that this is an opportunity to draw in more customers. A party is an excellent idea," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses, "Remember the last one went just as well."

Everyone except Kazumi sweat-dropped at his last statement of the party going well... it didn't go quite as they had planned it. Haruhi had ended up giving her first kiss to a girl thanks to Tamaki, but they _did_, however, bring a couple back together again. Sadly, Haruhi never got to eat her fancy tuna at the party, and Tamaki never got to practise the waltz with her, though he very much wanted to.

"Eh… am I missing something here?" Kazumi implored, cocking her head to the side as she clasped her hands together.

"If you were there at the party, you'd understand. Things were… interesting that night," Kaoru replied.

"So how did you and Mori-senpai meet anyway? Honey-senpai mentioned something about saving your life," Hikaru said, changing the subject.

"Well… he _did_ save me," she answered, blinking at them, "It was only 6 weeks after I transferred into his class…"

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_"Leave me alone!" a girl yelled, pushing away one of the four guys surrounding her. Kazumi was just walking home from school, and it was raining hard. The poor girl had forgotten her umbrella, and her uniform was soaked. She had been stalked by four second-year boys, and they had attacked her. _

_"I like them spicy," the guy said, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards him, "Come here." He suddenly felt a stinging pain on his cheek as she slapped him hard across the face. It angered him, and he threw her hard, her head slamming into the wall before she collapsed on the wet ground, knocked out cold. _

_"Akira, you probably shouldn't have done that," his friend said, "Is she dead?"_

_"What the hell are you talking about, Chiko? Of course she's not dead. I didn't push her _that_ hard," he scolded in return, bending down and grabbing Kazumi by the collar and yanking her up. _

_"Let. Her. Go," a deep voice ordered._

_Immediately, the four boys looked to see Takashi Morinozuka standing with an umbrella, glaring at them. _

_Akira released Kazumi and she slumped back down against the cold, rain-covered ground. "Aren't you that second-year kid in the same class as this girl? What's your name? Oh wait, who _cares_?" he hissed._

_"Takashi Morinozuka," he answered, "Why don't you leave that poor girl alone?"_

_"And why don't _you_ mind your own business," Chiko snapped, "Wait a second, aren't you part of that stupid host club that the Tamaki Suoh guy created?" _

_Mori dipped his head, glaring bullets at them. "Chivalry that will never be able to overlook the hideous wickedness of this world," he recalled, "And that's what I'm looking at right now."_

_Akira snorted, stepping over Kazumi's body and in front of the rest of his group. He brushed away short brown hair. "You think you can stop us, Morinozuka?" he challenged before rushing forward to attack him. As he threw a punch, Mori blocked it and retaliated, knocking the older student off his feet and crashing into the ground. _

_The rest of his friends stepped back in surprise before also trying to attack Mori. Within moments, the four third-year boys were sent running in fear and terror. Mori picked up his umbrella and his schoolbag, walking over to Kazumi. He bent down by her side and pressed his ear to her chest, listening to her heart. "Good, you're alive," he said, lifting her into his arms and holding her against him. He grabbed her own schoolbag and carried her off back to his estate. _

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"Well… that's what he told me, at least," Kazumi said to her friends, "I was unconscious, remember?"

"I was worried," Takashi said quietly, "I didn't know whether you were okay. I had just arrived to see her being thrown against the wall. I suspected that she would get a concussion, so I had to treat her with great care."

She brushed herself closer against him after seeing the deep worry in his eyes. "In truth, when I first woke up, I was surprised, embarrassed, and a little shocked," she admitted.

"Why? What happened?" Kaoru implored curiously.

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_Takashi laid Kazumi onto a large bed, tucking her in. The maids had changed her into clean, dry clothes, borrowed from his mother's old wardrobe. They had also forced medicine down her throat while Mori had dinner. She was catching on a fever, and white bandages were wrapped around her head and forehead. Her breathing was normal, and Mori sat by her side, already changed into a dry pair of clothes himself, and rested a hand on her bandaged forehead. It was boiling hot, and he could already see some sweat rolling down her forehead. _

I need to cool down her temperature somehow,_ he thought, _we've already tried ice, but that didn't work. I guess I have no choice… It _is_ already 9:30…

_He removed his shirt and crawled into the bed with her, pulling her close against his chest. She subconsciously shivered at his touch, and he was a little worried when he found how warm she was. _

You might despise me after you wake up in the morning, but this is for your own good. You're… special, to me, _he thought to himself, pulling her closer to his chest. _Good night, Kazumi Shirozaki.

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Kazumi found herself blushing after Takashi's reminiscence.

"Wow… that's so sweet," Kaoru sighed, "I never knew Mori-senpai was the type to sleep with a girl he hardly knows." Both Mori and Kazumi blushed furiously, causing Kaoru to stammer, "I-I mean, not _that_ kind of sleep. Just like… sleeping against sleep. Uh… well-"

"I think we all get it, Kaoru," Hikaru said, shaking his head, "Senpai wouldn't do something like that. He's not that sort of person, from what I know, anyway."

"Kazu-chan, didn't you get mad at Takashi the next morning?" Honey inquired, "I don't really remember what happened. Or at least, I don't really remember from the last time you guys told me."

She blushed. "Honestly, I find it a little embarrassing…" she said.

"Tell us!" Kaoru and Hikaru exclaimed at once, their eyes wide open in interest.

She looked away. "Well…"

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**WELL indeed. hahaha, I wonder what happened...?**

**PLEASE REVIEW AND I'LL UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN!**


	5. How Love Bloomed

**Here's the next chapter. I just had my social studies finals/provincials today, and man... if you ask me, it wasn't really like a ss test at all. It was more of a comprehension test. **

**This chapter is more of a fluff chapter, you could say. **

**anyway, please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Five: How Love Bloomed

_Kazumi felt herself being pressed against something warm, soft and smooth. Her hand slipped against her forehead, feeling the soft bandages wrapped around it. She groaned gently at a throbbing pulse she felt in her head and blinked her eyes open. She found herself resting against someone's chest, and when she looked up to see whom it was she has been sleeping against, her face immediately went red. She was sleeping with Takashi Morinozuka from her class! In her surprise and shock, she rolled off him and flopped on the bed beside him. _

_"W-Where am I?" she breathed quietly to herself, staring up at the ceiling. _And why am I sleeping with Takashi Morinozuka? _She thought, blushing, _what the hell happened to me?

_"Morning," Mori said beside her, his eyes open as he looked over at her, "How are you feeling?"_

_Abruptly, she blushed and sat up, looking away from him. She rested a hand on her forehead as she felt slight dizziness. "A little dizzy, but otherwise fine, thank you. H-How did I get here? The last thing I remember, Akira-senpai and his group was attacking me. I-I thought I was a goner. T-Thank you for rescuing me," she replied. _

_He sat up and moved closer to her, placing his hand over hers. "You're a good person, Kazumi. I can see that. You're really nice to my cousin Mitsukuni too, and well… I can see you have a kind heart," he said._

_She looked at him. "Are you always like this?" she asked, dramatically sighing._

_"I think I might have a crush on you, Kazumi," he admitted, "You're smart, beautiful, and you have a kind heart." _

_Her blush deepened as she looked away, speechless. In truth, she has developed a small crush on him too over the time she had transferred to Ouran. He had been strangely kind to her during their classes together. "I-I-I think I might… have a crush on you too…" she said quietly, swinging her legs out of bed._

_Takashi pulled himself closer before placing a hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him, then kissed her, passionately and gently. Slowly, she sunk into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as his other arm snaked around her waist, drawing her closer against him. He laid her back down and continued kissing her for a moment before pulling away. _

_She breathed out deeply, sighing in content, "T-Takashi… I think I might be falling in love with you. Though it might just be me." _

_He brushed away long black bangs from her face before planting another kiss on her lips. "Kazumi…" he whispered, a small smile gracing his handsome features, "The feeling's mutual."_

_Suddenly, she groaned loudly as her back arched, her face twisting in pain. _

_"Kazumi!" Mori exclaimed, immediately rolling off her and grabbing her hand furiously. _

_As her body relaxed and settled back on the bed, she sighed in relief, letting her eyes slowly blink open. "M-My back hurts. I-I just felt this… sharp twinge of pain shoot up my back," she said._

_He gently touched her face. "You hit your back pretty hard against the wall yesterday before you hit your head. You were lucky that you didn't suffer from a major concussion," he explained, "I was worried."_

_"Thank you," she sighed, leaning back down into the pillow, closing her eyes._

_He nuzzled her neck, gently kissing her throat as there was a knock on the door. It opened, and Satoshi stood there, already dressed for school. His eyes widened as he came onto the scene before him. His older brother was half-naked resting next to a girl; his brother's classmate. "T-Takashi?" he breathed, "W-W-What are you doing?" _

_His brother sat up leisurely. "Good morning, Satoshi. I had to help reduce her fever, so I slept against her last night. She's recovered well," he answered, swinging his legs outta bed and standing up in his shorts, "What time is it?"_

_"Almost time for the both of you to start getting ready to go to school," he answered._

_Mori turned to Kazumi. "Your uniform is hanging in the bathroom, so you can get changed. I got the maids to go get it dry-cleaned._

_She smiled genuinely. "Thank you."_

_He kissed her gently before beginning to leave the room. "I'll go get ready myself," he announced._

_Satoshi blinked at Kazumi as he entered the room. "What were you doing with my brother?" he demanded quietly._

_"Nothing really," she replied, "Except that he stole my heart and I stole his."_

_The younger Morinozuka looked taken aback. "Wait… you're in love with my brother?" _

_She smiled and nodded._

_"A-And he's in love with you?"_

_She climbed out of bed and towards the bathroom slowly. Her head still throbbed slightly. "It appears that way, I suppose."_

_"Whoa… are you serious?! My _brother_?! In _love_?!" he exclaimed. _

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"Then I assume you two decided to become a couple from there," Haruhi guessed.

The two third-years nodded.

"Honestly," Satoshi began, "When I first walked in there, I thought Takashi had slept with her. As in, _sleep_, sleep! Or at least something of the sort."

"Satoshi…" Kazumi growled threateningly, a blush overcoming her cheeks, "Don't get any ideas in that head of yours."

"Sorry," he apologized sincerely, "I didn't mean it like _that_!"

"Would Mori-senpai _really_ do that? You know, do 'it' with her after their very first kiss?" Hikaru pointed out, suddenly realizing it was a bad idea to point it out as Mori and Kazumi blushed while slapping themselves on the forehead, "No! Uh, never mind, actually!"

"Anyway… I didn't want Mori to be kicked out of the host club for having a girlfriend, so we decided to keep it secret. However, Kyoya figured it out and Mori told Honey, therefore, it was kept secret within the host club instead. Mori and I kept our relationship strictly professional during school, not showing any signs of being romantically engaged with each other. Well… it was easy in some cases, such as him being silent most of the time, and well… me pretending to be all fan-girly like all the other girls after him. The part that _was_ hard for us," she hesitated for a moment, "was well… when I saw the other girls try to flirt with him, I kinda got a little jealous, but had no choice but to hold my tongue."

Takashi gave a nod in agreement. "There were quite a few guys in our class who flirted with her constantly. She was quite popular with the male student body in our grade," he explained.

"Oh Takashi," Honey sighed, "You must have been so jealous."

He looked away. "I wouldn't say that…" he said quietly.

Kazumi raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Are you sure about that?" she teased, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

Once again, he averted his gaze. "Stop it, Kazumi," he scolded gently, "Not now."

She was taken aback for a moment before chuckling to herself as she picked up her cat, stroking her fur gently. "Getting a little defensive now, are we?" she teased. Then she looked at the time. "Hmm…"

Tamaki looked, stood up and said, "It's getting late. We should go. We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded, a big smile on her face as the rest of the host club stood up. "Don't worry, Tamaki. I'll pop by the host club tomorrow. Kyoya might need some assistance with the calculations."

The vice-president smirked. "I would appreciate the help, yes," he said, walking over and kissing her on the cheek, surprising Haruhi, "Thank you."

She giggled. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she replied.

"I'll show you guys out," Satoshi offered.

On the way out, Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru and Honey also gave her a peck on the cheek or forehead. Haruhi gave her a friendly handshake, which Kazumi accepted cheerfully.

Takashi looked awkwardly over at his girlfriend, who was still holding her cat in her arms, the kittens pawing gently at her feet.

"I'm a little surprised that they still respect me as they did before," she commented, setting Kisa down on the ground to reunite with her kittens, "By the way, who's the father?"

"A black cat with sharp golden eyes. He's always hanging around Kisa and is very protective of the kittens," Takashi answered.

"Oh! Takashiro!" Kazumi exclaimed, "Yeah, I remember that cat. He always comes by my apartment to visit Kisa. You took him with you, right?"

He nodded. "He's napping," he stated bluntly, raising an eyebrow, "Takashiro?"

She giggled. "He reminded me of you, so I thought it was only fair that I included your name. Takashiro can sometimes be overprotective of Kisa, as you are of me," she explained, reaching up to kiss him gently. He obligingly met her lips with his, wrapping his arms around her.

When they heard Satoshi return to the room moments later and said, "Huh… you guys are at it again so soon?" they pulled their lips away from each other, nevertheless still in each other's arms.

Kazumi smiled sincerely. "Of course we are. We've been away from each other for a whole year, and I love him."

"I love you too," her boyfriend replied, his arms tightening around her waist, "Satoshi, I'll be taking Kazumi out to dinner, so tell mother and father to go on ahead and have dinner without us, we'll be heading out soon."

The younger Morinozuka smiled. "Okay. Have fun you two, and don't be out too late. You've still got school tomorrow."

They nodded.

"We know," Kazumi said, smiling warmly as she began to head out, "We'll see you later, Satoshi. Mori, I'll wait outside for you."

"Have fun!" Satoshi called, waving to her as they disappeared out the door and Mori disappeared upstairs, "I can't wait till _I_ get a girlfriend. I hope I'll love her as my bro loves Kazumi."

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**Please Review and I'll update as soon as I can!**


	6. The Date

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! **

**PLEASE PLEASE PLLLLEEEZE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori**  
**Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Six: The Date

Takashi Morinozuka had changed into a simple dark, collared t-shirt and slacks, and now walked the streets with his beloved girlfriend, Kazumi Shirozaki.

"So where do you want to eat, Mori?" she implored, looking up at him.

"Doesn't matter. You wanna go anywhere in particular?" he replied.

She shook her head. "Not really. I don't really care, I suppose," she answered, glancing up and around for any restaurants that caught her eye, "Hey! Let's go in here!" She dragged him by the arm into a sushi bar/house/restaurant.

He followed without showing any signs of resisting, and were greeted by a tall blonde waitress. Her eyes were drawn to Mori's tall, stoic figure, and she thought he was hot. _Wow, he's looks like he's in high school or something. Why the hell is he towing around this girl with him? Is she his girlfriend? God, I hope not,_ she thought. Looking specifically at Mori, she asked, "A table for two?"

He dipped his head. "Yes, please," he answered, and she led them to a table. _Damn, he's so cool! The quiet type, I can see. That just makes him so much cooler!_ She thought, being a crazy fan-girl in her head as she set down two menus, "May I take your orders?"

Mori glanced at Kazumi and she nodded. Then he turned back to the waitress and said, "One sushi love boat deluxe."

Immediately the waitress froze inside. _Love? Boat? _She thought in shock, _Damn… that must mean they _are_ a couple. Well… that sucks for me…_ "O-Of course. And to drink?"

Kazumi smiled. "We'll just have green tea, thanks."

She nodded, taking their menus and walking away with a heavy heart. Kazumi stared after her for a moment before turning back to her boyfriend. "You seem to be quite popular with the ladies, nowadays," she commented, raising an eyebrow while placing a thoughtful hand on her cheek and teasing in a honey-sweet voice, "You're not cheating on me now, are you?"

His eyes widened in surprise and furiously shook his head, causing her to laugh. "I was just kidding, Mori! I know you wouldn't do that to me."

"You know I care about you, right, Kazumi?" he asked quietly in a deep but serious voice, "You know I love you?"

Her smile became more genuine by the minute, widening and causing her to look adorably cute. "Of course I do. You know I love you too, right?"

A small smile crawled onto his lips as he nodded. The waitress came back with their tea, and then wordlessly walked back towards the kitchen. Kazumi stared into the cup, her eyes conflicted.

"I-It just feels so weird. I feel like I've been with you and the others the whole time while I was in a coma for the past year, and yet… I feel like I'm wandering into uncharted territory," she admitted, her voice quieting.

In truth, Takashi was a little unsure of what to say. He'd never felt what she was feeling at the moment, so he couldn't speak from experience. Then something inside just told him to say her name, making her look up at him. "It's okay," he said, "I'm here every step of the way."

Her smile returned, though not as strong as before, but nevertheless, it was still there. Tears glistened in her eyes as she whispered, "Thank you."

He reached over the table and brushed the forming tears away from her eyes. "Please don't cry."

She sniffed, blinking back tears. Suddenly, the waitress came back carrying the huge deluxe love boat, setting it on the table. "E-Enjoy!" she panted, recovering from carrying the huge weight.

"Thank you very much," Kazumi said as she left. Then, at the same time, she and Mori picked up their chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!" she exclaimed cheerfully before both began to eat.

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When they were full, they discovered they still had leftovers. Quite a bit of leftovers too.

"Hmm…" Kazumi thought out loud, "You _did_ mention one time that Haruhi wanted to eat fancy tuna, correct?"

He nodded. "We do have some here left."

"Well… its more high-quality, I guess," she said, "Anyway, maybe we should bring some to her. You know where she lives, right?"

Mori blinked. "It's the apartment next to yours, unit 203," he informed.

"Aha! That's why the name 'Fujioka' seemed so familiar!" she exclaimed, "Hmm… well, I _do_ have to pick up a few of my books at the apartment, as well as my school bag."

"And I have your school books in my room," he added.

"Okay, then its settled," she determined, raising a hand to call a waitress over, "May I please have a take-away box, please?"

She nodded. "Of course, are you both done?"

The couple nodded simultaneously, and she left to get their bill and box. Moments later, she returned and set them on the table.

Kazumi thanked her and flipped her chopsticks, picking up the extra sushi with the clean side. "I hope Haruhi and her father like it!"

Mori watched her as she put away the sushi into the take-away container. She always had a kind heart, and he loved that about her. He picked up the bill and took out his wallet, pulling out his credit card.

"Ah, Mori! You don't have to pay for dinner, after all, I _did_ choose this place," Kazumi protested.

He just smiled in return. "It's no problem. I haven't been able to take you out on a dinner date for a whole year," he argued.

"Thanks," she said, smiling warmly.

His own smile widened, handing his credit card and bill to the waitress.

Kazumi neatly organized the sushi and closed the box, slipping it into a plastic bag and tying it into a bow. "Okay, all ready."

The waitress returned and gave Mori back his credit card and the receipt, which he signed and she said, "Thank you. Please come back soon!"

Kazumi and Mori stood up and left.

"Now… the apartment isn't very far…" Kazumi pondered to herself as they began to walk to her home, "And it's still not too late, so we should get back to the estate before it gets dark." She knew very well how much Mori disliked it when she was out late at night, _especially_ without him. He usually grew very, _very_ worried.

"Yeah," he agreed, "I can always call to get a car sent."

"Yeah… I suppose," she said, slowly nodding. She pulled out a mint from her pocket, unrolled the package and popped it into her mouth. She needed something to do absentmindedly if she needed to keep her mind of anything at any time. Or more specifically, the pain of knowing that she caused her boyfriend pain for months on end because of her.

"Something wrong?" Takashi asked, reading the worried expression on her face.

"Hmm?" she inquired, unintentionally telling him she wasn't paying attention, "I'm sorry Mori, what did you say?"

His dark eyes grew more worried. "Kazumi, are you okay?" he asked again, "You look… sad, depressed, and…. A little guilty."

A somewhat-forced smile edged its way onto her face. "O-Of course I'm fine," she lied as smoothly as she could, turning her gaze away from him, "W-Why wouldn't I be?"

Gently, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. "Kazumi," he said in a quiet, gentle tone, "I can tell that something's wrong. Or at least something is bothering you. What is it?"

"M-Mori, I-I'm sorry. You must have suffered a whole lot on my behalf the last year," she apologized quietly, "I-I never meant to cause anyone pain."

He shook his head and yanked lightly on her arm, pulling her tightly against him. "Its okay, Kazumi, that's all in the past. You're here with me now, and I love you with all my heart."

Her body violently shuddered against him as tears streamed from her eyes. He held her tighter against him, placing a hand on the back of her head. "Shhh…" he whispered, resting his chin on her head, "Its okay. It's okay. I don't blame you, Kazumi. I stayed by your side the whole time because I love you, and I care for you. If it had to happen again, I'd stay by your side all over again."

Her sobs became worse, pouring out all of the pain and hurt that had been contained inside her for the last year. "Don't try to hide it, Mori," she sobbed, "I know you well enough to know that you're just saying that."

Reluctantly, he knew he couldn't argue, knowing that she was right. She _had_ caused him some pain as he sat by her side, begging her to wake up. Instead, he held her tighter as other passing citizens couldn't help but glance at the couple. And their first thought was; lover's quarrel?

Moments later, her breathing shuddered before returning to normal. She pulled away, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "S-Sorry, Takashi," she said, "I-I just had to let that out. It's just… seeing you so happy like this while you're with me now… and then… hearing your pained voice while you spoke to me every week as I was still in a coma. I just… feel so guilty."

He kissed her gently on the forehead, granting her a warm smile. "Just worry about what's here and now. As long as you're here with me at anytime, I'm happy, though I may not seem like it," he reassured, "Now, let's go pay Haruhi a visit."

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About 8 minutes later, they found themselves on the Fujioka's doorstep. Kazumi rapped on the door, and Haruhi opened the door, a little surprised to find two of her senpai's on her front steps.

"M-Mori-senpai! K-Kazumi-senpai! Hi, uh… what brings you here?" she stammered surprisingly.

The third-year female handed her the box of sushi. "Here, this is for you and your father. There's some pretty high-quality tuna in there," she said, "as well as other sushi. We thought we would bring it over, since we just came from dinner. Sorry if they're leftovers. Turns out you live right next to me. My apartment's next door, unit 204."

Haruhi's eyes widened. "HUH?! REALLY, SENPAI?!" she gasped loudly.

She smiled and nodded.

"Haruhi!" A singsong voice called, and her transvestite father skipped to the door, already changed from his outfit with his long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, "Who's at the door?" Then his eyes fell upon the two third-year students, but only Mori he recognized. "Ah! Takashi Morinozuka, it's good to see you again!" he exclaimed, "and who's this nice young lady with you?"

Kazumi bowed. "My name is Kazumi Shirozaki, I live in the apartment next door, and I'm a third-year at Ouran Academy," she introduced politely.

"She's a friend of mine," Haruhi added.

"Well, a friend of my Haruhi is a friend of mine! Please, call me Ranka," her father said, mentally adding, _Well… most of her friends except maybe that Tamaki Suoh!_

"Thanks for the sushi," Haruhi said gratefully, "Would you like to come in for some tea? I can get some made quickly."

Both shook their heads.

"Thanks for the offer, but no. We're planning on returning to the estate after we pick up Kazumi's bag from her apartment," Mori replied.

Ranka cocked his head. "Is Kazumi your fiancée?" he asked Mori, causing both to blush, "Lover? Significant other? Anything of that sort?"

The host club member shook his head. "My girlfriend," he corrected smoothly, his voice carefully neutral.

"Awww! That's so cute!" he cooed, "Just like my little Haruhi is adorable!"

Haruhi half-glared at her father. "Dad, you're embarrassing me again. Anyway, thanks again for the sushi. I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow at school."

They nodded. "See you," Mori said.

"Good night, Haruhi, Ranka," Kazumi added before they walked next door to unit 204. She took out her key and opened the door, turning on a light. The inside of her apartment looked somewhat similar to the Fujioka's, however, there were many unpacked boxes in there. She turned to her boyfriend. "Give me a moment, I'll go get my school bag," she informed before slipping off her shoes and prancing in, dashing into the other room.

Moments later, she returned with her book bag. "Okay, let's go! I don't think I'll need anything else. Most of the things I need are in my bag. Oh, and thanks for helping me out with getting rid of all of the fresh and frozen food that I had in my refrigerator."

He blinked. _How did she know that without even checking?_ He wondered. "You're welcome," he replied, leaving his question unanswered, and the couple left for home.

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**Please Review! (I'd really appreciate it if you did!)**

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	7. Bad News

**Here's the next chapter to A Love For All Seasons. I hope you all enjoy! **

**Wow... Mori's nightmares just get worse from here on in, huh? Well... kinda. Poor guy!**

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Seven: Bad News

In 25 minutes time, the pair had arrived back at the estate. Immediately, Kazumi went to take a shower so she could wash her hair and get ready for bed. Now, as Mori went to take a shower, Kazumi packed her school bag, reading over some of the text that apparently they were going through in class. _I hope I'll be able to catch up,_ she thought, _well… I'll be in the same class as Honey and Mori, so I could always ask for a little help if it comes to that. _

Just then, she noticed a strange open box in the bedroom that seemed a little out of place. She walked over and kneeled down to take a look. It seemed that it was a box of all the mail she had received in the past year. They were neatly sorted into categories of 'bills', 'paid bills', 'important', 'flyers and ads', and 'greeting's cards'. "Wow…" she breathed, "Thanks Takashi. Though I suppose it will take me some time to look through all this. Well… let's get started."

She decided to start in the 'important' section, considering it was the smallest section, and she pulled out everything that was in there. In truth, only two things were in there. First was a letter from her parents, and the second was from the family lawyer. She opened the letter from her parents, and pulled out a pretty diamond necklace that was also sealed within the envelope. She saw that the letter was dated just about a week after she fell into a coma, and then she read the letter.

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Dear Kazumi:

We were hoping that we could wish you a happy birthday, however, we were informed that you had fallen into a coma after saving Takashi's life. If you are reading this now, that means you're alright, correct? So let's hope you're reading this soon. We apologize for not being there with you as you pull through this, but just know that we love you no matter what happens. We have instructed Takashi to give this to you when you wake up, and we hope to hear a reply from you soon.

Before you fell into a coma and after you were admitted into the hospital, we were considering scolding you for taking such actions without thinking, however, we know that you love Takashi very much. Based on his tone when we spoke to him over the phone, we can see that he loves you just as much. At this point in time, we think he'd be the only man we'd allow you to wed.

Anyway, we should be able to catch a plane later on next month to visit you, and so hopefully you've awakened by then. If not, well… we'll be by your side every step of the way. We hope you like your birthday present! Hope to hear from you soon!

Regards,

Your loving parents

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A few tears dripped from her eyes as she smiled, clutching the necklace in her hand. She heard the water in the bathroom turn off, and she knew Mori would be out soon. She would ask him if she could borrow a phone card. But for the time being, she opened the letter from the family lawyer, and began to read, wondering what would it be about. It was dated about 5 weeks after her parents' letter, and her hand tightened as she read through it, tears threatening to overflow from her eyes.

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To Ms. Kazumi Shirozaki:

I regret to inform you of the death of your parents. They died in a plane accident just about a week ago. They were flying over the ocean when a terrible storm hit, with strong winds and cold rain. It is to be believed that the plane's wings had been heavily iced and the winds blew them down. The plane exploded soon after, and none survived. I am truly sorry for your terrible loss. The bodies have been recovered and their graves are here in France, where they took most of their business to. All of their money has been placed in your account, as well as the insurance. Their possessions have been shipped down to your location and have been placed into storage under the name 'Shirozaki'. The address of the storage company is on the card. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any documents that needs to be clarified. Once again, I am truly sorry for your loss. May they rest in eternal peace.

Sincerely,

Mrs. T

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Both the letter and the necklace dropped from her trembling hands and she cried out in agony. Then she began to weep, crying hard as she wrapped her arms around herself. Immediately after she screamed, Mori ran out of the bathroom and towards her. He was still only half-dressed, and his hair was still wet. "Kazumi, what's wrong?!" he demanded in a low, protective voice. Then he spotted the letter. Kneeling down, he pressed her tightly against his bare chest and just by reading the first line, he knew what was hurting the young woman.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Her sobs were sorrowful and full of unbearable pain. He knew she needed him now more than ever, considering she didn't really have many people left she could turn to. He held her tighter against his warm skin, one hand on the back of her head, his fingers threaded through her wet black hair. Sadly, he very well knew that there was nothing he could say to her that would ease her pain, so instead, he held her until she was ready to let go.

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Half an hour past, and Kazumi now cried silent tears, feeling nothing but an aching emptiness in her heart. The only thing that was keeping her from falling into a complete breakdown was Mori's arms tightly wound around her, supporting her with his warmth. In truth, the couple hadn't left their position on the floor, and both of their hairs were getting close to being completely dry.

Takashi had closed his eyes a while ago, trying to send his warmth to his girlfriend. Her body shuddered violently in his embrace, but there was nothing he could do to change that. His arms tightened around her and he pressed her closer against him, trying to soothe her. He pulled her back and looked at her. "Kazumi, you should get some rest, you've had a long, painful day," he chided gently.

She looked up at him, and he was a little shocked to see her eyes looking so hollow, so empty. "M-Mori… I have nothing left, except you, the host club, Kisa, and my memories. Nothing will be the same ever again…" she whispered, her voice cracking as her hand rested on his cheek.

Gently, he brushed his thumbs under her eyes as she closed them, wiping away her salty tears. He tenderly kissed her forehead before pressing his lips against hers. In response, her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed herself closer to him. She needed his love now more than ever. With their lips still joined, he swept her up into his arms and they lay together under the soft covers of the bed. He switched off the lights and as tears continued to flow from Kazumi's eyes, Mori kept reassuring her that he was there with her.

He rolled on top of her, pinning her down to soft mattress, one hand on either side of her head as he looked down at her. "Kazumi, I love you," he said quietly.

A tear fell from her eye. "I love you too, Takashi," she choked before he bended down and left a trail of kisses on her neck before meeting her lips with his own. Very soon, the third-year students began to make-out passionately, tasting each other's sensual lips and easing Kazumi's pain by driving the attention away from the death of her parents. Before they knew it, they collapsed, lying side by side as both had run out of breath.

Mori heaved out a sigh and looked over at his beloved girlfriend, running his fingers through her soft black hair. He could tell that she had quickly fallen asleep after their make-out session, and he did not wish to wake her. Instead, he pulled himself closer to her and draped his arm across her waist, his hand wrapping around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered, "Good night, Kazumi. You've had a long, hard day. Sleep well."

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_Mori had absolutely no control over his body, and he was chasing Kazumi through the forest, one of his kendo blades tightly gripped in his hand. _

_"Takashi! Why are you chasing me?!" she yelled, panting as she ran desperately from him, "Why are you trying to kill me?!"_

_Immediately, the kendo champion knew that he was somehow being controlled, and his mission was to kill Kazumi Shirozaki. He tried to call out that he would never hurt her, but his mouth would not obey him, neither would the rest of his body._

_She ran out onto a rickety suspension bridge, and continued to run, trying to get to the other side. Without hesitation, Mori's body used the sword to cut through the ropes, and the bridge fell. Kazumi screamed, but was cut off as she securely held onto the fallen bridge that now was clinging on the wall. She began to pull herself up, and when she got to the top, sat down on the cool grass and panted breathlessly, looking back at him with eyes wide in terror and betrayal. Then she got up and began to run again, deeper in the forest, away from him. _

Damn it, Kazumi, I'm sorry,_ Mori thought. His body suddenly took a huge leap into the air, and when he landed, he found himself on the other side of the bridge before continuing to go after Kazumi. _

_All of a sudden, he heard a cry cut short, and headed in that direction, coming upon his 17-year-old girlfriend, who had tripped over an exposed tree root, twisting her foot._

_She looked up fearfully at the man she loved, and desperately begged, "Please, Mori, please don't kill me. I haven't done anything to hurt you, have I? If I have, I'm sorry. Please, spare me my life. Why are you doing this? I love you."_

_He raised the blade high, its point poised towards her heart. "I'm sorry," he said in a voice that didn't belong to him, and plunged it straight and true, driving it home. Blood splattered on the grass around them, and she took one shuddering breath before the light faded from her soft chocolate orbs and closed. Her body slumped back down against the ground lifelessly as Mori twisted the blade cruelly, driving it deeper into her before pulling it out. _

_All of a sudden, his control over his body returned to him, and he dropped the bloody blade, falling to his knees beside the dead girl. "K-K-Kazumi…" he breathed, gathering her in his arms, "I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. I-I didn't mean to-… You know I wouldn't-"Then he broke into sobs, clutching her cold corpse against him, her blood soaking the ground and his shirt. _

_Without warning, a booming voice was around him. "Congratulations, Takashi," it announced, "you have succeeded in your mission. Now, to bring proof to the council that the princess is dead, I want you to bring us her heart."_

_"NO!" he bellowed angrily, "I would never do such a thing!"_

_"You must and you _will_," it threatened, and suddenly, his body was no longer in control. _

_After placing the body back on the reddened ground, he pulled a knife from behind him, and lifted the blade over Kazumi's bloody chest. Tears fell from his eyes as he inserted the blade into the soft flesh, dragging it along the body. As his hand slowly reached for her, he heard a pounding heartbeat in his mind, getting louder and louder, until…_

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"NO!" Takashi cried, snapping right up in bed, a hand pressed against his chest over his heart. Panting hard, he wiped away sweat from his forehead and looked beside him. Kazumi was no longer lying with him. "Kazumi? Kazumi?! Kazumi! Where are you?" he called out both worriedly and desperately.

Immediately, he took note of the sweet smell of breakfast cooking, and he knew none of the maids would begin without taking an order. Without any other thought, he threw the sheets aside and quickly put on his slippers before proceeding to run towards the kitchen. All the maids that passed by blushed at his amazing physique, and he took no heed of them. All that mattered at that moment was finding his girlfriend. As he burst through the swinging doors of the kitchen, he saw Kazumi cooking with the frying pan, her hair tied up and a long yellow apron around her neck and waist. She was just wearing a casual pair of faded blue jeans and a striped purple and white t-shirt.

"Kazumi!" he exclaimed, running over to her, "Are you alright?"

She turned and looked at him, blinking. "Good morning to you too. No offense or anything, but that was a stupid question, of course I'm not alright," she replied, a little timid.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded in a low, threatening tone.

"Physically no, but mentally and psychologically, yes," she answered, "How about you? You seem a little tense, not to mention you haven't changed and are still half-naked running around the house. Something wrong?"

He sighed in relief, a hand on his forehead. "Nightmare," he said.

She sighed melodramatically, "_Again_? Tell me, what it is about? Also tell me yesterday's one too. Are they related?"

He nodded. "But before that, you seem… different," he noted.

"Well… I knew that my parents wouldn't want me to beat myself into a hole of agony and depression, and they've always supported me in whatever I've done. So I decided there was a right time to grieve, and that wouldn't be now. Right now, I'm worried about you," she explained, flipping the bacon over, "So now that's settled, tell me about the nightmare's you've been having."

"In both of them… you were killed," he began carefully, his face completely neutral.

She blinked, a little surprised. "Well… elaborate," she offered.

Mori was taken aback. She was _okay_ with the fact that her boyfriend had dreamed of her death?! "Uh… well… first, I guess I'll tell you yesterday's," he began.

In vivid detail, he described and explained both dreams to her and how he felt about them and what he felt within them. At the same time she listened, Kazumi continued to cook breakfast.

When he finished, she sighed, figuring out what to say to him. "Well… the first dream is informing me that you're scared for me, you don't want me to get hurt, by anyone, or anything. You feel like you have to protect me in some way, and you're afraid to fail. And this morning's dream, I suppose now _you_ don't want to hurt me. You're scared to hurt me, both unintentionally and intentionally. That's why you couldn't control your body, you intentionally wanted to hurt me, and then, when you showed signs of emotion, you unintentionally hurt me as well," she guessed, looking over at him, "Mori, are you afraid of me getting hurt?"

A moment past before he nodded. "H-How did you know all this?" he asked.

"Oh, I took a summer course on interpretation of dreams and body language. Thought it might help sometime," she answered simply, "Turns out it has."

He blinked. "You never cease to amaze me, Kazumi," he commented.

She smiled. "Thank you. Now, would you like breakfast first or get dressed first?" she teased, her chocolate eyes scanning his muscular chest.

"You're awfully cheery for someone who's just found out her parents died 8 months ago," he retorted.

Her eyes became distant as she turned back to her cooking, her dim eyes averted downwards. He instantly regretted what he said and bit his lower lip in a bit of frustration. "In truth, I feel like I'm dying inside," she admitted quietly, "But I don't want to burden you or the others with my pain."

Takashi walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his bare chest against her back, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kazumi. I didn't mean it like that," he apologized, "You can share your burden with me. I'm here for you, through anything and everything."

She smiled softly. "I know you are. Thank you," she whispered back, and he kissed her gently on the cheek.

He continued to hold her as she finished cooking. A few minutes later, Satoshi walked in, already dressed in his middle school uniform. He was whistling a light tune before freezing at the sight of his half-naked brother, his arms wrapped around Kazumi as she organized the plates. Almost instantly his face turned beet red.

"G-Good morning," he greeted, slightly stammering.

Both of them turned to look at the younger Morinozuka.

"Good morning, Satoshi!" Kazumi said cheerfully, Mori saying a polite 'good morning' after.

"H-How long have you two been up?" he asked.

"Well… I've been up since about 45 minutes ago," she answered, "and Mori just came down just about 15 minutes ago. So, Satoshi, would you like some breakfast? I made bacon, ham, eggs, pancakes, and toast. There's also some fresh fruit and freshly squeezed orange juice in the fridge. You should get some too, Mori."

"Thanks, but you didn't have to go through all that trouble to make us breakfast, Kazumi," Satoshi said, "You're a guest here, not our personal chef."

She grinned, or at least, forced a grin, at the same time unwrapping Mori's arms from her waist. "Well it's been a while since I've cooked for you guys, so I figured that I should. Take it as a 'thank-you' token, I suppose," she explained, "Now come on, take a seat and let's eat. I'm sorry it's nothing fancy, but I did the best of my ability."

"It's no problem," Mori insisted, helping by taking several plates of various foods to the table as his brother went and got the juice and bowl of fruit from the fridge.

Suddenly, Kazumi slipped on some pancake batter and dropped on the floor, a sharp knife slipping off the table and clambering onto the floor, but not before it sliced her right index finger open. She sat, dazed on the ground, oblivious to the cut and the striking pain. "I-I'm okay," she assured.

Mori kneeled down to her, a hand on her shoulder. "Kazumi, are you okay? Are you injured?"

She suddenly felt a stinging pain in her hand, and looked to see that there was a cut on her hand, and blood dripped from the wound. Immediately he snatched her hand as he saw the blood. "You're hurt," he said matter-of-factly.

Satoshi immediately brought over a first-aid kit, handing it to his brother. "Are you okay?"

Kazumi nodded. "Other than the cut, I'm not hurt," she reassured as she watched Mori bandage up her wound after disinfecting it, "Thanks."

Without warning, a bark and a cheeping sound came from outta nowhere, followed by mewing, and they watched as a Tanuki (Racoon dog), a large chick, and two cats and their kittens running into the kitchen. All at once, Kisa, Takashiro and the kittens tackled Kazumi to the floor, while the Tanuki and the chick clambered up to Mori.

The third-year female started to laugh as the cats purred up against her, licking her face. "Ha, ha, okay, ha, okay, you guys! Get off me, already!" she exclaimed between laughs. The cats obliged, and she sat up as Mori picked up the Tanuki and the chick.

"Kazumi," he said, gesturing to the Tanuki, "this is Pome, and this," he motioned to the chick, "is Piyo-chan. This is Kazumi, my girlfriend."

She smiled. "Hello, Pome, hello Piyo-chan," she greeted warmly.

Both creatures' faces turned a little pink, before hopping over and cuddling against her, slightly surprising her at the same time.

"Wow, they really like you," Satoshi commented, "The only one I've seen them get so quickly adjusted to is my brother."

Kisa, Takashiro and the kittens brushed themselves on her bare arms, purring as their soft fur tickled her skin.

She chuckled, "I think they like me too. Well… I'm glad." Then she stood up, still holding Pome and Piyo-chan in her arms before handing them over to her boyfriend. "Here, I'll get them some proper breakfast." She went to get the dog, cat and chick food, as well as a dish of warm milk, setting them all down on the floor. Immediately they went over and began to eat, the kittens licking at the milk. "Now it's _our_ turn to have breakfast," she said, washing her hands and removing her apron before sitting at the table, "Let's eat. At this rate, I'm guessing you're not going to get dressed, right Mori?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "I'm going to take a shower before we go, wash away the sweat," he said.

"In that case, let's eat!" his brother exclaimed, "Itadakimasu!"

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A while later, they had finished, including the animals. Mori and Satoshi assisted in carrying the plates and cutlery to the sink, while Kazumi picked up the animal's food dishes.

"We'll get the maids to take care of those later," Satoshi said, "Meanwhile, you two should get ready for school."

Mori and Kazumi left, returning to his room. Mori took out the yellow girls' uniform out from his closet, and handed it to her. "Here, go get changed in the bathroom, I'll change after I take a shower," he told her as she took it from him.

"Thanks," she said, skipping towards the bathroom. 10 minutes later she came out dressed in the uniform, her hair neatly waved, her smile as radiant as ever.

"You look beautiful," he commented, kissing her on the cheek before taking his own uniform and entering the bathroom.

Gently, Kazumi wept quietly as she sat on the mattress on the futon on the floor. She shook as sobs racked her body, tears falling from her eyes. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she sniffled, continuing to weep. Suddenly, she heard a small cheep and looked to where the sound was coming from and saw Piyo-chan staring at her with sad eyes. The chick hopped over to her and onto her lap, brushing herself against the crying girl with a soft cheep. In return, Kazumi hugged her and continued to shake as tears continued to stream from her eyes.

10 minutes later, Mori came out in his uniform, seeing his girlfriend cry while holding Piyo-chan, who was unsure of what to do. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms as the chick hopped down and out of the room. Kazumi was pressed tightly against him, her trembling body in his strong arms, holding her close, one hand on the back of her head.

"Shhh…" he whispered, trying to soothe her, "It's going to be alright. I'm here."

Shaky breaths escaped her, and then she sank into his touch, her body moulding against his. "Oh Mori," she croaked, "I-I just- I'm sorry. I feel so weak. B-But I can't just-"

"Shhh… It's okay. I understand what you must be going through," he responded, pulling her back and wiping away her tears, "I'm here for you."

"Thanks," she whispered, hugging herself closer against him, "Now let's get going, before we're late."

He nodded, helping her up and handing over her bag to her, before taking her hand and leading her out of the room and eventually, estate. A limo was already waiting for them, and the driver opened the door for the two, and Mori politely motioned for her to go in, which she smiled and stepped in, him following. The driver closed the door and climbed back into the driver's seat.

"Good morning, Master, Miss Shirozaki," he greeted as they began to drive off.

"Good morning. And how many times do I have to tell you just to call me Kazumi," she replied, grinning.

"I apologize, but it's required that our meeting's must always be very formal, Miss Shirozaki. It's a rule I must abide by," he answered.

She sighed, leaning back against the leather seat, "Fine, fine. But I daresay, Clarence, I find it a little _too_ formal."

Mori smiled as he sat beside her, his eyes sparking. Hopefully the rest of the day would go well. At least, well until after school and they went to the Host Club.

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After school, Mori and Honey immediately went to the Host Club, however, Kazumi had to stay behind for a few moments to catch up with a few friends.

"So, Kazumi, are you going to head over with us to the Host Club?" her friend Akane asked.

She smiled. "Sure, I don't mind," she answered, grabbing her bag, "Let's go."

"Who's your favourite host, Kazumi?" Fumiko inquired, flicking back short blonde hair, "Mine would probably be the twins."

"_My_ favourite would be Tamaki Suoh," Akane sighed dreamily.

Kazumi pretended to take a moment to ponder before saying, "Well… I think my favourite host would be Takashi Morinozuka. Tall, stoic and silent, the perfect guy for me."

"Yeah… I think you two would look cute together. I think he might have feelings for you, he used to be unnaturally kind to you a year or so ago, and today we noticed he was glancing over at you a lot throughout class all day," Fumiko said, "Would that be just totally awesome if you and him had a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship?"

She smiled, mentally laughing at the irony of it. "Yes it would, Fumiko, yes it would."

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**Haha, oh, the irony. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I apologize if Mori or Satoshi seemed a little OCC in this chapter.**

**Please Review!**


	8. Attacked!

**So... here's the next chapter of A Love For All Seasons and things get a little more dramatic, er... yeah. **

**In the basis of this certain chapter, first of all, Tamaki tries to flirt with Kazumi like he does with... well... every other girl, and well... fails miserably. In addition, Kazumi gets attacked in the middle of the night by some strange men. Will she make it out alive?**

**PLEASE R&R! (I haven't got a review for a while... so PLLLLEEEASSSEEE!)**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: Everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Eight: Attacked!

The trio of third-year females walked through the double doors of Music Room 3, rose petals came outta nowhere and fluttered all around them. The host club boys were dressed up like Eskimos, and the place seemed to be covered in what looked like snow.

_Oh dear… _Kazumi thought, _this _must _be Tamaki's idea. Kyoya's not stupid enough to go with this._

"Welcome ladies," Tamaki greeted, lowering his fur-rimmed hood, "Are you lost, my little kittens? Or have you come to pay a visit to our beloved host club?"

"We've come to visit," Akane stammered, blushing furiously as he approached them. At the same time, Hikaru and Kaoru led away Fumiko.

Kazumi quietly sighed as he took her hand, cradling it gently in his and began in a loving tone, "Oh, my beloved princess, though my body may be stone from the bitter cold, even in this Eskimo outfit, my heart can still be warmed only by the heat of your burning love."

She cleared her throat before answering in a completely fake yet believably loving tone, "My beloved Tamaki, take me into your arms and keep me warm from the bitter and lonely cold. Only the love that you pass into me can protect me."

"Really, my princess?" he asked, inching closer to her, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"No," she answered flatly, her expression going cold, and immediately Tamaki dropped to his corner, sulking.

Haruhi was surprised at how cold the third-year was being to him, and in truth, kinda guessed that was coming to him.

"Kazumi!" Akane scolded, hitting her lightly on the head, "Don't be so mean to Tamaki!"

"Ow," she moaned, rubbing her head, "That hurt. It's not my fault that Tamaki can be such an idiot sometimes. In any case, Tamaki, I do believe you have an appointment with Akane, correct? I'm sure she enjoys your antics more than I do."

Without delay, Tamaki instantly recovered and held Akane's hand. "Oh, so this fair lady enjoys my presence here? Why hello there, Princess," he greeted, kissing her hand romantically, "I am the exceptionally brilliant and talented Tamaki Suoh."

Honey grabbed Kazumi's arm and yanked her towards the rest of the group. "Come on, Kazu-chan! Do you wanna have some cake with me and Takashi?"

"Sure," she answered.

"I'm surprised that you still aren't swayed by Tamaki's acting," Kyoya commented as he continued writing in his little black book, "Even after a year you still give him the same reaction after acting a little yourself."

"D-Does that happen a lot, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi guessed, still a little taken aback.

The black-haired second-year sighed, "I'm afraid so, and Kazumi-senpai leads him on as a joke. Tamaki doesn't mind _too_ much, however, I guess today is different."

Kazumi sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Well… if Tamaki thinks that he can just flirt with me that easily, he's wrong," she explained bluntly.

"Even after a year of being asleep, you still haven't lost your edge," the shadow king noted, "By the way, do you want red streamers with sparkles or normal white streamers?"

"Um… for your sake, the cheaper ones," she answered, "So probably the white streamers."

"By the way, sorry about your parents…" Haruhi said quietly, "Mori-senpai told us. I know how you feel. When I lost my mom, I was really sad too."

"Thank you, Haruhi," she said quietly, "I appreciate your concern." Before the mood became too somber, Honey took her hand and placed it in Mori's.

"Kazu-chan, I believe you had an appointment with Takashi, don't you?" Honey insisted, grinning as he pushed her into him.

Mori grabbed her before she tripped, pulling her close against him, making the entire group of Mori-fans squeal in jealousy while glaring at her. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She flushed in embarrassment, nodding slightly. "I-I'm fine," she answered, "a little taken aback though. Thanks." Then she turned back to Honey as she pulled away from him before the Mori-fans glared bullets into her. "Well… didn't you say you wanted some cake?" she teased, "Let's go."

"Yay!" the young-looking third-year student exclaimed, dragging his cousin's girlfriend to the snack table, "Which one do you want? We have a whole bunch of different kinds!"

She laughed, "I don't know. How about you choose for me instead? What's your favourite cake?"

"Strawberry!" he cheered, pulling out dishes of cake and setting them on the table, "You're going to love it, believe me!"

She laughed once more, taking a seat along with the other clients that requested Honey and or Mori. "I'm sure I will."

Tamaki cleared his throat and stood up. "Attention everyone, the Ouran host club is sponsoring a dance in 3 days. I know this is a little late notice, and all of us here truly apologize. We've rented out the school's largest hall for dancing, and we hope to see you all there," he announced.

_Well… I'm glad he didn't mention my birthday being then,_ Kazumi thought in relief.

_Why didn't Tama-chan announce Kazu-chan's birthday?_ Honey thought at the same time. As he opened his mouth to speak, Mori immediately said quietly, "Mitsukuni, don't." He saw his girlfriend's expression turn from one of worry to relief and back to worry. Once Honey reclosed his mouth, Kazumi sighed in relief, her eyes sparkling in thanks at Mori. He dipped his head in acknowledgement.

As the afternoon continued, the host club finally closed, and the boys changed back from their cosplay outfits. Out of all their clients, only Kazumi remained. "Well, today has been interesting," she said as she uncrossed her legs and stood up from her chair.

Tamaki looked at her with large, sad puppy eyes. "You were so mean to me in front of your friends, Kazumi-senpai."

She giggled. "Of course," she replied coolly.

Mori wound his arms around her from behind, his head resting momentarily on her shoulder. "Hello," he muttered into her ear.

"Hey," she answered, turning in his arms to look at him, "Did you have a good time today?"

He kissed her gently, one arm slipping around her waist as the other rested on her cheek. Then he replied, "Yeah."

She smiled. "Me too."

"Is there anything specific you want to do at the party, Kazumi-senpai?" Tamaki inquired.

She shook her head. "Not really, it's up to you guys what you want to do," she insisted.

"It's our job as members of the elite Ouran Host Club," Kaoru began.

Hikaru smiled, finishing the sentence, "to make every girl happy. That includes you. Mori-senpai told us about the death of your parents, and well… we want to ease your burden a little by showing you a good time."

The third-year female forced a smile. "It's not like I'm not having a good time," she argued, slipping out of Mori's embrace, "Really, I am."

Kyoya took her by the hand and gracefully spun her in a circle before pulling her closer to him, one hand around her waist while the other was holding his note book, showing her his notes. "What do you think?" he asked, "Does it meet your standards?"

Her chocolate eyes glanced through the neat handwriting as Hikaru, Kaoru, Tamaki, Honey and Haruhi tried to glance over their shoulder's to look, but, they were unsuccessful. So what resided in Kyoya's little black book continued to remain unknown to the rest of them. "Yeah," she answered, "That looks about right. Not too expensive for the host club's budget but still should bring in a great time. Do you need help with the calculations?"

The vice-president shook his head. "I can take care of this, after all, this party _is_ also for your birthday," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean is _'also'_ for my birthday?" she demanded before smirking, "Are you thinking you could also use this opportunity to draw in more customers and perhaps bring up the host club's budget? That's what I was kinda thinking."

"Exactly," he agreed, "You're a remarkable young woman, Senpai."

"Thank you," she replied, a dark smile on her face, "You're not too shabby yourself."

Haruhi stepped back in shock. _She's just as evilly brilliant as Kyoya!_ She thought, _I can see why Kyoya is somewhat affectionate towards her. That's actually just a very… scary… thought…_

"Kazumi," Mori said quietly yet sternly, "You ready to go home?"

"You'd _like_ that, wouldn't you, Senpai?" Hikaru teased unintentionally, not meaning for it to slip out. Then his face went red with embarrassment and said, "I-I'm sorry, Mori-senpai, Kazumi-senpai! I-I didn't mean to-! It's not like I-! I-I didn't mean to make it sound like-!"

The rest of them all laughed.

"It's okay, Hikaru," Mori chuckled, "We all know that you were probably joking." He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer against him. She rested her head against his shoulder.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow," she said, "Have a good evening you guys."

"Bye," Haruhi called after them, "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Takashi! Bye Kazu-chan!" Honey shouted, waving with one hand while holding Usa-chan tightly in his other arm, "Have a good night!"

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In the limo, Kazumi turned to her boyfriend. "Takashi, I think for today I just want to return to my apartment," she told him, "I have to start restocking everything in my fridge and stuff, not to mention clean up around the house. I'm not living at your house all the time, right? I don't want to be a burden to you."

He kissed her gently. "You're not. Believe me, you're not a burden; not to me, to Satoshi, or to my parents. But if you insist on going home today, it's fine with me," he said.

She leaned more towards the window of the driver. "Clarence, do you think you could drop me off at my apartment before heading back to the Morinozuka Estate?" she asked politely.

"Of course, Miss Shirozaki," he answered, making a turn.

When they arrived, Kazumi opened the door and stepped out with her schoolbag, but not before giving Mori a passionate kiss and a warm smile. "Love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," he replied, "Stay safe."

Once she disappeared through her front door, Mori told the driver to go, knowing that his girlfriend should be safe in her apartment.

Kazumi removed her shoes and went to change after taking a shower. She changed into a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans. She opened her fridge and sighed, before looking up at the clock.

"Great," she groaned, "It's 7 and already dark. Just _how_ long was I at the host club? Wow… time sure does fly by quickly when you're having fun." _Well… I think I should be able to make it to the supermarket and back without any trouble_, she added silently, grabbing her wallet and slipping back on her shoes, _well… even if I _do_ run into any trouble, I should still remember the moves Honey taught me, not to mention my experiences with a sword, both from Takashi _and_ the lessons I took. It's better if I take my wallet instead of my purse..._

She arrived at the supermarket without any trouble, and bought a lot of groceries, carrying several large shopping bags out. She sighed in relief. _No trouble so far,_ she thought, suddenly seeing a group of rowdy men coming towards her direction, _thought too soon…_

"Hey, little lady, why don't you came and play with us?" one of them taunted, and Kazumi backed away in instinct.

"No, thank you," she replied, knowing very well that she was outnumbered, "If you're looking to rob me for my money, I'll gladly give it to you as long as you leave me alone."

One of them grabbed her, and she dropped her groceries in attempt to pry them off. She was viciously pinned against the wall as they surrounded her. "Nah, why don't you give us your body?" he hissed, inching closer to her face, "You _are_ quite attractive."

_Oh great,_ she thought, kicking him in the groin before following in a roundhouse kick.

"Damn it," another guy hissed, pulling out a knife and slashing her in the arm before stabbing her in the side.

Kazumi winced as she held her bleeding side. _This could be a problem,_ she thought, _I can see why Mori constantly worries about me; I'm a magnet for trouble._

"Come on, girlie, dance!" the man with the knife hissed, trying to cut her.

Skilfully, she managed to dodge it and trip the man, grabbing the knife from him and poising it in front of her protectively.

"J-Just leave me alone, okay?!" she shouted, her voice dripping with hints of fear, "Please, someone help me!"

"There's no one here to help you. You've all alone," another guy informed.

Accurately, she threw the knife and it stabbed into one man's abdomen, causing him to crumple to the ground. Then she felt a stinging pain on her cheek as a single bullet grazed her, imbedding itself into the wall behind her.

In her momentary lapse of shock, some of them grabbed her and started beating her till she collapsed on the ground. One of them pulled out a long wooden rod, about to whack her on the head with it, hopefully knocking her out.

Kazumi's hand snatched out and grabbed the rod before it fell on her and twisted it out of the other man's grasp, leaping back onto her feet and lashing out with the stick of wood, expertly twisting it and turning it, smashing it against the weak points of the man with the gun, causing him to crumple. The gun suddenly went off, and by miracle, just barely nicked Kazumi's other arm. She attacked the other men until only she was left standing and panting, with blood trailing down her arms and cheek, as well as a few scratches on her legs and forehead. She was leaning heavily on the long wooden rod and the wall, suddenly hearing running footsteps approaching her. She looked up at the figure, and heard him shouting, "Kazumi-senpai!"

"Kyoya?" she breathed in wonder, collapsing back against the wall, slipping down into a sitting position, "W-What are you doing here?"

Ignoring her, the youngest Ootori brother pulled out his cell and called his police force. "It's me, get a team assembled and send an ambulance and a doctor," he ordered before snapping it shut as he kneeled next to her, "Senpai, are you okay? What happened?"

She nodded. "Only a few scratches and bruises, nothing that won't heal," she assured, "Oh, these guys attacked me, apparently going to rape me or something. What are you doing here Kyoya?"

"I was going to stop by to check whether you wanted to assist me with the designs. I tried calling your home and your cell, but you weren't there. I called Mori-senpai and he said that you didn't go home with him. So, naturally I decided to come by your house, and that's when I heard these men yelling in pain after a gunshot," he explained as the sound of sirens got closer.

"W-wow, t-that was pretty fast," Kazumi commented, feeling a little weak from the blood loss. When she had collapsed on the floor, she hit her head on a rock or something, and blood trickled from her forehead.

The Ootori's private police force immediately arrested the men, putting them in handcuffs before shipping them off to a prisoner's hospital to get treated for their wounds. Paramedics and a doctor leaped out of the ambulance and ran to Kazumi's side. The paramedics began to tend to her wounds and bandage them as the doctor checked her of any signs of a concussion before beginning to patch up her side wound.

"K-Kyoya?" she mumbled as the doctor injected a painkiller into her, "D-Don't tell Mori. He'll find out soon enough. I don't want to make him worry tonight."

"Sir?" the doctor addressed, looking at Kyoya with deep green eyes, "She's going to be alright. She just needs some rest. The side wound isn't very deep, so I don't think she needs to get stitches so soon. However, she must not move it a lot, or else the wound will open back up again." He turned back to his patient, "Miss, I recommend that you keep your bandages uncovered by any articles of clothing, with the exception of the one on your waist, so that they don't get warm and irritate your wounds, and you can probably remove them in a few days time, with the exception of the side wound, of course. Don't work yourself too much, seeing that your minor concussion will probably make you a little dizzy for the next few days. Also, just a warning, but you may experience a few fainting spells due to the medications in the painkiller."

She nodded. "Thanks, doctor," she replied.

"Do you know where she lives?" the doctor inquired Kyoya, "We can give her a ride home to rest."

He nodded, looking back at the older student. "It's not very far, so I can help her back," he said, helping her up while throwing her arm around his shoulder while slipping his arm around her waist. Kyoya took several of her grocery bags and allowed her to carry the lighter ones. "Thanks, doctor."

The brown haired medical man bowed. "It's an honour to serve the Ootori family."

Kazumi groaned as they walked back to her apartment, "This is just sad. I get attacked on my second night just a few blocks from my own home. I can completely see why Mori constantly worries about me when he's not with me. He's going to give me heck for this tomorrow at school."

"I highly recommend that you get a lot of sleep, Senpai, so its best that you go to class a little late," he explained, "I'm sure your teacher won't mind. I'll have a note written for you in which you can give to your teacher when you go in late."

"Thanks, Kyoya," she said, forcing a small chuckle as she joked, "I guess I can't help you out with the designs tonight, huh?"

He chuckled, "Whenever you're feeling better before the party, I don't mind if you offer your assistance."

They looked and saw Haruhi's father running over to them from the apartment. "Oh, Kazumi! Are you okay?!" he shouted, taking note of the bandages and blood.

She smiled. "I'm fine, Ranka," she replied, "Where's Haruhi?"

"Studying and finishing up homework. We heard the commotion with the sirens and I thought it was best to stay in. When I saw you two coming back, I told Haruhi to stay and that I would be back," he explained.

"Ranka," Kazumi began in a serious tone, "I would greatly appreciate it if you refrain from informing your daughter about my current condition. I don't want her to worry tonight. She and the others will find out soon enough tomorrow."

He dipped his head. "I understand," he agreed, "I assume you don't want me to tell the other host club members too, right?"

She nodded. "I'd really appreciate it, thanks," she said, eyes slightly fluttering.

"Excuse us, Ranka, but I need to get Kazumi-senpai into bed before she passes out," Kyoya excused.

He stood aside immediately. "Ah! Of course!" he exclaimed, taking the shopping bags from Kazumi's fingers, "I'll come with you and put away the groceries."

"Thanks, Ranka," Kazumi said quietly, looking at the second-year supporting her, "and thank _you_ Kyoya. If you hadn't have found me, I don't know when help would have come."

"It's no problem," he retorted as they climbed up the staircase to unit 204, "I'm glad you're okay." He took the key from her pocket and opened the door, all three of them taking off their shoes before Kyoya laid Kazumi down on the futon in the main room, pulling the blanket over her while putting the key on the table beside her. "Goodnight, senpai. Sleep well," he said, standing up to leave the room.

"Thanks, Kyoya," she sighed, closing her eyes, "Good night."

Meanwhile, Ranka neatly put away the groceries, some in the fridge and others in the cupboards. Kyoya slid closed the room door and wrote a note on a piece of paper, excusing Kazumi from being late the next morning. He left it folded on the countertop.

"Thanks for your help," Kyoya said quietly.

Haruhi's father smiled. "It's no problem, Kyoya," he replied, closing the fridge and folding up the empty bags and placing them on the countertop next to the sink.

Both men left, the door locking shut behind them, and Kazumi slept peacefully that night, nothing but her breathing and the whirring of the fridge being the only sounds in the apartment.

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**Well... that's it for now. I hope you liked this chapter. I'll update soon! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	9. Worry, Worry, Worry

**Oh wow... my longest chapter ever. Darn... I'm in kinda a rush, cause I'm going to this youth program later and we're learning Brazilian Jujitsu. ahahaha. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: Everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Nine: Worry, Worry, Worry…

"Mmm…" Kazumi hummed as she awoke from her slumber. Her body felt a little sore from her wounds and the medication given to her. She sat up, looking up at her wall clock. "Ah! I'm late!" she exclaimed, jumping out of the futon but stumbled, nearly falling. "Wait…right, right, Kyoya wrote me a note," she recalled, walking towards the kitchen cautiously, finding the folded note on the countertop. She smiled, and her stomach growled and she laughed, "Well… I guess I should fix myself some breakfast since I didn't have dinner last night. Not to mention take a shower and change…" _Into something that will still air out my bandaged wounds…._ She added silently, _Meh…well… I have that white blouse, and a pair of black pants that I know is pretty much the guys' uniform pants at Ouran. Well… that works…_

She took out a pan and placed it over the stove, turning it on and dripping a few drops of oil on it, hearing that familiar simmer that she heard just yesterday morning. She opened the fridge and got out two eggs and three strips of bacon, tossing the surprisingly skinny bacon onto the pan and setting the eggs aside. She washed her hands clean and pulled out the toaster, slipping in two pieces of bread.

"Well," she said, flipping the bacon and cooking it thoroughly before throwing in the eggs in addition. She pulled the toast out of the toaster and set it on a plate, finishing cooking the bacon and eggs and setting it next to the toast. She put the pan in the dishwasher and poured herself a glass of cool milk and brought her plate and cutlery to the table, sitting on her knees and saying, "Itadakimasu!" Then she dug into her meal, hungrily chomping down.

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10 minutes later, she had finished, and she placed her dirty dishes in the dishwasher, turning it on. Then she went to go take a shower, cleaning herself up. When she finished changing, she looked in the mirror, and nodded in approval. She was wearing a white, short-sleeved blouse, the dark Ouran boys' uniform pants, and her bandages were newly changed and completely visible. The small bandage on her cheek and forehead were also visible, as well as several bruises on her arms, some of them covered by the bandages.

"Mori is going to kill me," she sighed, "Or at least, going to be so overprotective he's not going to let me go anywhere alone ever again."

She picked up her schoolbag and slipped the note into her pocket, taking her wallet and her key and locking the door behind her. As quickly as she could, she ran towards Ouran Academy, and in 25 minutes time, she arrived at the gates. She now stood outside her classroom, and breathed in deep, opening the door and stepping inside.

Immediately all eyes were drawn on her, surprised by what she was wearing and the bruises and bandages. Akane and Fumiko ran over to her, as well as everyone else in the class, including Mori and Honey. Mori set a worried hand on her shoulder, his eyes hard and his face set. Honey tugged worriedly on her pant leg, staring up at her with large worried eyes.

"Oh my goodness, Kazumi! Are you okay?!" Akane cried, "What happened?"

"Kazumi-chan! Are you okay?!" one boy exclaimed.

She smiled, waving them back. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she assured, "sit down and I'll explain." She pulled the note out of her pocket and handed it to her teacher, "I apologize for being late, Haikou-sensei, I have an excuse note."

"What happened to you, Kazumi-chan?" the teacher asked, his dark green eyes concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine now," she answered, turning to her still-standing-and-panicking classmates, "Please sit down and I'll explain everything."

Reluctantly, Mori and Honey sat down at their respective desks, gazing both worriedly and furiously at her. She very well knew the ferocity wasn't directed at her, but probably the people who hurt her.

She sighed before beginning, "Last night I had to go late-night grocery shopping due to my time at the host club as well as being in a coma for a year, and on my way back, I was attacked by this group of men. They weren't looking to rob me, so I think it's pretty obvious what they wanted." She took note of Mori's face tightening and his eyes narrowing, his knuckles whitening as his hands clenched into tight fists. "I was outnumbered, however, I used my knowledge from being tutored by Mori and Honey, as well as my own swordsmanship knowledge, and defeated them. A friend found me right after and called a doctor as well as the police. I am pleased to say that the men have been arrested, not to mention having their own wounds as well. Obviously, I didn't escape unscathed, and so I've been given this medication, so don't be surprised and or worried if I suddenly pass out in the middle of class or anything," she explained, smiling warmly at them, "I should be fully recovered in a few days. The doctor told me I should let my bandages uncovered so they can heal a little better with the kind-of-open air, and so that's why I'm wearing this, if any of you were wondering."

_It just makes you look hotter,_ some/many of the boys in the class thought.

"It seems you've had quite a frightening experience," Haikou-sensei commented, "So take it easy today, and I'll get you a copy of the notes we've taken so far. You don't need to worry about any homework for the next little while. I suspect you'll still need some time to readjust."

"Thank you," she said, going to her seat and sitting down. She could feel Mori and Honey's eyes stare holes into her, and she looked back at them and smiled. _"I'm okay,"_ she mouthed, her eyes fluttering slightly, _"Believe me, I'm fine."_

_xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_

About two hours later, during a lecture, Kazumi's eyes fluttered as they unfocused, feeling the world spin around her before her world faded into darkness. Suddenly, she fell over out of her chair, and before she hit the ground, she was caught by Mori, who had seen her sway moments before she fell.

"Kazumi-chan!" Fumiko and Akane shouted.

"Kazu-chan!" Honey exclaimed.

Haikou-sensei grimaced, knowing that he should expect it, as she had said before, "Morinozuka-san, do you want to take her to the nurse's office until she wakes up?"

He nodded silently, easily sweeping the girl up into his arms. As he walked towards the door, the boys looked at Mori jealously, wishing they were the ones to carry Kazumi to the nurse's office. Meanwhile, several of the girls (Mori-fans) looked at Kazumi in jealously, wishing they were the ones Mori carried out. Only Honey looked at the pair with worried chestnut eyes.

Mori gently laid Kazumi's sleeping body on the patient's bed, gently kissing her on the forehead while holding her hand. He stood by her side, watching the young woman rest. The nurses were nowhere to be seen, supposedly organizing the medical supply closet. 10 minutes later, her eyes stirred open, and the first thing she saw was Mori's worried eyes on her.

"M-Mori?" she mumbled.

"Kazumi," he replied, bending down and kissing her on the lips before sitting by her side, "What were you thinking? You could have been molested, or worse, killed."

She sighed, "I had to go to the supermarket to get some groceries. I didn't want to call you because I wasn't interested in troubling you. I didn't get to eat anything afterward anyways. I had a quick yet hearty breakfast this morning before I came though."

"Kazumi," he began gravely, "when you walked into the classroom with bandages and bruises, you have no idea how worried I was."

Her hand reached up and touched his cheek, and he held it tightly against his skin. "I'm sorry, Mori. I know that you would definitely be worried about me, but I knew I couldn't avoid you till my wounds recovered, because you would probably go looking for me. I-I didn't mean to make you worry," she apologized.

He lowered his lips to hers. "I'm never leaving you alone again," he swore, staring deeply into her soft chocolate eyes, "I don't want to see you get hurt ever again. I love you."

She forced a small smile. "I love you too. Now I'm just wondering how the rest of the host club is going to take it," she said.

"By the way, who was your friend that saved you?" he inquired suddenly.

"Kyoya," she answered, "he was coming to stop by my apartment to go through some of the organizations. Apparently he called you when I didn't answer my phone."

He nodded. "Yeah, he did," he responded in a monotone as he helped her up, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," she muttered, leaning heavily on him, "How long do we have class left?"

"Not very," he said, "You came pretty late."

"Sorry, slept in," she explained, a flush of embarrassment overcoming her face. She took a step forward and she crumpled, Mori's strong arms wrapping around her.

The kendo champion looked a little more worried now. "Are you sure you're okay, Kazumi?" he asked.

She shrugged, holding onto his arm. "I-I don't know," she said, "I think I might just need- AH!" She was swept up onto Mori's back, his arms holding onto her legs, her arms around his neck, a deep blush covering her cheeks, "W-What are you doing?"

"Well… you can't exactly walk at the moment, can you?" he argued, "Plus, we're heading for the host club. Mitsukuni will take our books there for us."

Her head rested against his shoulder as she let her arms hang limp around his neck. "Thanks, Takashi," she whispered into his ear, "Sorry if I may be a little heavy for you."

He smiled. "Not at all," he responded, "Love you."

Kazumi sighed, "Love you too."

He carried the young woman towards music room 3, both of them ignoring the many stares they were receiving from other students they passed by after the bell rang. Very soon, they arrived, and as Mori walked through the clubroom doors, they saw the other hosts dressed in police uniforms and rush over to them.

"Senpai, are you okay?" Hikaru and Kaoru both exclaimed.

The third-year female looked at her boyfriend. "Mori, I think you can put me down now," she told him quietly.

Gently, he set her down and immediately Tamaki tackled her to the ground, hugging her furiously. "ONEE-CHAN! Kyoya told us what happened, are you okay?!" he shouted, pinning her down.

"Ack! T-Tamaki!" she breathed, "C-Can't b-breathe!!!"

He let go, getting off her and standing up. "Sorry, got a little ahead of myself there," he responded, taking her hand and helping her up.

"I'm fine," she said, "I just might have a few fainting spells and, well… times of weakness," she explained.

Honey ran up and threw his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. "We were really worried about you, Kazu-chan," he said, tears in his eyes.

She smiled sadly, kneeling down and hugging the small third-year. "I'm sorry, Honey. I didn't mean to make you all worry about me."

Haruhi looked at her with concerned eyes. "Are you sure you're okay, Senpai?" she asked, "You look terrible."

"Yeah… I guess it would seem that way," she said, rubbing her arm bandages gently as she stood up.

Mori wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning lightly on him.

Kyoya touched the bandage on her cheek. "You sure you're alright, senpai?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

The third-year nodded, offering them a genuine smile. "Guys, stop worrying about me, I'll be okay."

Haruhi, however, was not convinced. It seemed a little too good to be true. She just found out her parents died while she was in a coma, and then she was attacked not even half a week of being released from the hospital. _It must be hard for her cope,_ she thought, _at least she's got all of us to depend on to get her through, especially Mori-senpai. _"Kazumi-senpai," she said quietly and sternly, making her look at her, "you don't have to fake your cheerfulness. We know you must be breaking inside because of recent events. You can let it all out. You're not alone, that's what we're here for; to help you get through this."

Tears welled up in chocolate eyes, and streamed down her face and over her bandages, hugging Haruhi tightly. "Thank you, Haruhi," she whispered, her tears flowing freely.

Gently, Mori pried Kazumi out of Haruhi's embrace and pulled her into his own, hugging her tightly, placing a gossamer's kiss on her forehead before tucking her head under his chin.

"There's only two more days until the dance," Honey said, "We've already got most of the plans done, but there's still a little that Kyo-chan is planning to do. Takashi helped out a whole lot and so you should definitely thank him and Kyo-chan the most."

She looked up at her boyfriend. "Thanks, Mori," she said quietly. He answered her with a gentle kiss on the lips. Then she turned to Kyoya and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Kyoya," she said, feeling his arms wrap around her in a friendly hug.

"It's no problem," he replied coolly, letting her go, "It's our pleasure."

"Oh yeah, I brought your school bags," Mitsukuni added, "I have them on the table."

"Oh!" Kazumi exclaimed, "That reminds me…" She ran over and opened her bag, taking out a brown leather box, smiling and bringing it back to the group. She opened it, revealing 12 slim sterling gold bands, each engraved with silver letters: O.H.S.H.C. Ouran High School Host Club. On each end of the acronym, there was a dazzling light pink diamond rose.

"W-Wow," Kaoru breathed, "How did you get those?"

"Yeah," Hikaru agreed, "What did you do: rob a bank?"

She and Mori glared at him. "_No,_" she corrected sternly, "I bought these from a jewellery shop. Well… actually, I just called in a debt my friend Ichirou owed me. When he was first starting out his business, I helped him set up and ran the shop when he was busy. Eight of them have our names individually engraved on the inside, with different colours too, not to mention a matching crystal. I just recently got Haruhi's name engraved too, and otherwise, there are 4 extra rings that we can use either to auction off or else I'll hold onto if we get any new hosts or anything. I hope you guys like them. It might not be anything you might be normally used to, but I hope you'll accept it anyway. Just think of it as late birthday presents, considering I missed them during my coma." She took out seven of them and handed each ring to their respective name owner.

"It's beautiful," Haruhi breathed, gazing at the ring she slipped onto her right hand middle finger, as did the other boys, "Thank you so much. A-Are you sure I can have it?"

Kazumi nodded. "Of course, you're a host, after all. These rings are all one of a kind," she responded, looking at Kyoya, "And that _means_, Kyoya, that you _cannot_ copy these to benefit the club. I'm giving these from the bottom of my heart."

He chuckled. "I know," he reassured, carefully observing the ring both inside and out before slipping it on, "don't worry, I wasn't thinking to. I really appreciate it, and thank you."

"It's beautiful," Kaoru commented, his gaze fixed on the ring.

"And the work seems so genuine," Hikaru added, "Amazing."

All of the boys (and Haruhi) bowed and said simultaneously, "Thank you Kazumi/Kazu-chan/Kazumi-senpai!"

She held her hands up, a beautiful smile on her face. "It's no problem. Thanks for being there for me when I need it you guys, all of you."

Mori took out Kazumi's ring from the box and took her hand, looking at her as he romantically kneeled down on one knee. "May I?" he asked politely and she nodded. He slipped the ring onto her finger, and it fit perfectly. He kissed her hand before standing up again, smiling warmly at her, watching as she closed the box of the remaining four rings, slipping back into her bag.

"You know, Kazumi-senpai," Kaoru began, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Hikaru joined him, his eyes scanning up and down her body. "You're looking pretty hot today," he said, glancing over at Mori to make sure he and his brother weren't taking things too far. All he saw was the third-year kendo champion shake his head with a small smile on his face, his hands casually in his pockets.

"Uh huh…" Kazumi replied, inching back away from them, "T-Thanks, I guess." She just nearly dodged their sudden hug-lunge, skipping over to her boyfriend, stumbling briefly before regaining her own balance. "Mori, why don't you go get changed into your police outfit? I'll be out here with the others, so don't worry about me."

He kissed her briefly before heading off to the prep room to change.

"So how are you feeling now, senpai?" Haruhi implored, gazing curiously at the older student.

"Better, I suppose," she answered honestly, her eyelids fluttering, "At least, a _lot_ better than yesterday when Kyoya first found me. I still do feel some of the aches and pains from my wounds and bruises, however, the aspirin is helping. Sadly, the fainting spells are a side effect." Her hand flew to her forehead as the room briefly spun around her. Tamaki grabbed her arm, preventing her from falling.

"Are you okay, senpai?" he asked worriedly, "Do you want to lie down or anything?"

"P-Probably I'll lie down eventually, or else I'm going to p-pass o-out pretty soon," she said, feeling her eyelids grow heavy, "I-I'll do lie down in the other room once Mori comes out and b-before the guests arrive."

Honey tugged on her pant leg. "Kazu-chan, you look like you're about to pass out right now," he commented, honey-brown eyes large and worried.

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back and closed, her body falling limp. Tamaki caught her before her head hit the ground.

"Senpai!" Hikaru, Kaoru and Haruhi exclaimed.

"It's alright," Kyoya assured, "She'll be fine. She's had a long few days."

Takashi opened the door and walked back into the main room, dressed in his dark police uniform cosplay. When he saw Kazumi's unconscious body in Tamaki's arms, he ran over to them, kneeling down next to her. "Did she pass out again?" he asked the host king.

The blonde nodded. Gently, he picked up Kazumi and held her tightly against him, placing a brief kiss on her forehead. Then he carried her to the next room, gently laying her on the sideway couch. Her hand rested on her chest as the other was at her side. Mori never realized how elegant she looked as she slept in the daylight. The sun shone softly on her face, illuminating her lightly tanned skin, as well as reflecting light off her gold ring. He kneeled down next to her, taking her hand and kissing her gently on the cheek before planting a deep kiss on her lips. "Sleep well, my love," he whispered, his thumb brushing over her hand gently. Then he cast her one last loving glance before returning back to the other room.

"She'll wake up soon," he informed the rest of the host club, "So don't worry about her."

"Well… we'll be opening up pretty soon," Kyoya informed, "Oh, and most of the plans are done for the party the day after tomorrow. Just a last few calculations, and we'll be set. Have the rest of you already planned what you're going to get Kazumi-senpai as a gift?"

Out of them all, only Tamaki blinked.

"I've already gotten something special," Mori said.

"Still working on it," Hikaru and Kaoru said in union, "But we're planning on giving her a wardrobe of our mother's designs. She's carefully helping us choose some out, as well as designing a few just for the occasion."

Honey grinned widely. "I'm getting Kazu-chan some expensive chocolate and cake! As well as her own cute stuffed animal like Usa-chan!" he exclaimed proudly.

"I've got a cookbook that I want to give her. I know there are a lot of recipes I'm sure she would enjoy making," Haruhi said.

"That's very considerate of you, Haruhi," Kyoya commented, "Personally, I'm giving her a year pass to one of my family's relaxation spas."

The Hitachiin twins stared at Tamaki. "What did _you_ get her, Boss?" they inquired, curiously, opposite eyebrows raised.

He flushed in embarrassment. "I-uh, still haven't decided yet. She's a tricky woman to please."

"She'll love anything you give her," Mori informed, a small smile gracing his handsome face, "She's not _that_ difficult to please."

"But Mori-senpai," Tamaki whined, "I don't want to offend her or anything! What if I give her something that she might already have? O-Or give her something too expensive that it embarrasses her that she couldn't have bought her own?"

Honey laughed, "Tama-chan, you're acting silly. Like Takashi said, Kazu-chan will love anything you give her. She won't be offended cause she knows our gifts are coming from the heart."

"Well, that makes my job a little easier," the second-year sighed, scratching the back of his head.

The shadow king glanced up at the clock, closing his black book. "Okay, opening time," he announced, slipping his book and pen into his police belt, "We'll take turns checking up on Kazumi-senpai every 15 or so minutes, just to make sure she's alright."

"I don't really think that will be necessary," Takashi pointed out, "She should be waking up pretty soon. The last time she fainted, she was only out for about 15 minutes. She shouldn't be sleeping too long, and if she does, I'll check on her myself."

The vice-president dipped his head in acknowledgement. "If you insist, Mori-senpai," he replied coolly.

The doors began to swing open, and they got into their positions, greeting their guests with a warm 'welcome'.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

About 20 minutes later, as the hosts were all entertaining their guests, Kazumi's eyes opened, and she sat up with one hand on her forehead.

"Ugh… must have passed out again," she mumbled, standing up. She blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the new light in the room. She walked over to the window and stared up into the bright blue sky.

_Hmm… _she thought, hearing voices come from the main room, _they must have brought me to the prep room._

Very carefully, she quietly opened the door and peeked through, seeing that the customers were already piling in. She sighed, fully opening the door and stepping out, closing the door behind her. The hosts immediately took notice of her, and it seemed to Kazumi that each one gave a small sigh of relief, even Kyoya. She began to walk over to the group, when suddenly, Tamaki snatched her hand and got her to look at him.

"Oh, my beloved Princess Kazumi, are you well? Even as I wear this police uniform, I know only what you say is law. Only is your love my chain in which you would arrest me in," he said dramatically.

_Oh my,_ Kazumi thought, _this is new. Ah well… I'm not really in the mood for his games…_ "Ahem, Tamaki, please let go," she said flatly, making him cringe.

"You're so cruel, princess," he noted, his voice both sad and half-shocked with dramatic tears streaming down his cheeks. The girls at his table had hearts in their eyes and cooed loudly at Tamaki's apparent adorableness.

"Very well, you are correct," Kazumi sighed, dropping down onto her hands and knees with her head bowed, a sudden dark aura surrounding her. What appeared to be tears leaked from her eyes and dripped onto the floor. "I apologize for my cruelness, my prince," she 'sobbed', "But the love I feel in my heart is not destined to be yours, as another man holds it. I am sorry, therefore, I cannot receive your love."

Poor Tamaki actually believed that she was crying, and he began to half-freak out. "Ah! N-No! S-Sorry, K-Kazumi-senpai! I-I didn't mean it like- I-I'm so sorry!" He was already kneeling down beside her with a hand on her back, trying to soothe her 'crying'. The host king looked at the other hosts for help, and began with Mori, who raised an eyebrow at his secret girlfriend.

Kazumi sat back and laughed, wiping away the tears. "Wow, Tamaki, you actually thought I was crying?" she implored.

He blinked violet eyes. "Y-You were pretending?"

Haruhi walked by with a tray of tea. "Wow, Tamaki-senpai, you're slow," she commented, "By the way, Kazumi-senpai, the customers are rather fascinated with the rings." She chuckled, adding, "Not to mention maybe even a little envious."

Kazumi stood up, laughing. Then she brushed dust off her black pants and held her hand out to Tamaki, who sat, blinking, on the floor. "Come on, Tamaki. Your guests are still here, you know. So try and entertain them better than you do me."

He accepted her help up, smiled, and then returned to entertaining his clients.

She smiled, shaking her head. Then she walked over towards the main doors and was about to leave, when she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned to see Kyoya looking at her.

"Are you planning on leaving already?" he asked, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

The third-year shook her head. "Nah, I'm just going out for a walk outside. I want to get some fresh air. Don't worry, I'll be on school grounds, so I'll try not to get into any trouble," she explained.

He dipped his head in approval. "Very well then. I guess we'll see you later," he said.

She left the building and walked on the pathway, the spring breeze rustling her long black hair. She breathed in the strong aroma of roses and other flowers, as well as the cool pleasant air. She found a nice spot under a tree, and laid down on the soft grass, closing her eyes and beginning to doze off.

About 10 minutes later, she hears footsteps approaching, yawns, and sits up. She sees a red-haired student with a somewhat scary-lookingface walk towards her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello there," she greeted warmly.

"Uh, hey," he responded, "Are you a student here? I think I've seen you around before."

"Oh, uh, yeah," she answered, "I guess it doesn't really seem like it, considering I'm not wearing the uniform today. I'm third-year, class A, student Kazumi Shirozaki."

"Ritsu Kasanoda, class D first-year," he introduced, offering her his hand, which she shook warmly.

* * *

**Wow... that IS a long chapter. **

**MY favourite line: Hikaru: "Yeah, what did you do: Rob a bank?"**

**hahaha... **

**anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Meet Ritsu Kasanoda

**Okay... either second or longest chapter now so far... wow... **

**Well... this chapter is MORE than just meeting Kasanoda, as Kazumi's condition seems to be a little worse than thought. **

**Haha, I know the NEXT chapter though is one of the most dramatic, considering it's a confrontation between Kazumi and Mori's father, who doesn't approve of her and her relationship with his son at ALL. Bad news for her, huh? **

**Thanks to ~MrsPattinsonDiggoryCullen for her awesome review for the last chapter, as well as her offer for assistance. I hope I improved from the last chapter. I read it over before posting it. **

**Anyway, please enjoy this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Meet Ritsu Kasanoda

"It's nice to meet you, Kasanoda," she said, smiling warmly.

He blushed. "I-uh-I-It nice to meet you too," he stammered, "D-Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she stated, and the redhead sat down next to her, his eyes averted to the grass as if he suddenly found it interesting.

_W-Wow, t-this girl is a third-year student? S-She looks like she's older? What happened to her? Why does she have all sorts of bandages and bruises? D-Did she get into a f-fight or something? _He wondered. "S-So," he began, "Do you know Takashi Morinozuka-senpai and Mitsukuni Haninozuka-senpai?"

She nodded. "I know everyone in the host club," she responded, "But I'm most close to Mori."

"Y-You also know Haruhi Fujioka then?" he inquired. _I wonder whether she knows Fujioka's secret._

"Yes," Kazumi answered, "and I know a little about you too, Kasanoda. Mori told me that you wanted to be his apprentice. I think that's pretty cool."

The first-year blushed deeper. "Y-You think so?"

She grinned. "Yeah, Mori's a pretty cool guy. We all could learn a lot from him. His kindness knows practically no bounds, well, except for his enemies, which I daresay, there aren't a lot of," she elaborated.

"H-How close are you two?" he implored, feeling a little worried for some reason.

She looked up at the blue sky, observing passing birds. "Well… I guess we're know each other so well that you could say that we were brother and sister almost," she started, "However, his female fans seem to think otherwise, which I daresay, I agree. We seem a little close, as in… _very_ close."

Kasanoda sighed in relief, though he hadn't figured out why yet. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to you? Why are you covered in bandages and bruises?" he pried.

"You could say that I got into a fight," she responded, "there were these guys that I ran into last night, and well… they attacked me. I managed to defend myself well enough until I could retaliate. I got away okay and well… I guess I'm fine, aside from a few fainting spells. So, why are you still hanging around here, Kasanoda?"

"Oh, yeah, uh, I was planning on heading over to the host club," he admitted.

"Um… are you planning on becoming a host or something?" Kazumi implored curiously.

"Nah, I'm going to go see Fujioka," Kasanoda said, looking away.

She blinked chocolate eyes. "Eh… isn't it kinda odd that a guy is going to the host club to request a guy?" she queried, pretending that Haruhi was still a guy.

"Well… I-I guess I'll just talk to him afterward they close," he said, cheeks red.

"Ah! No! No!" she exclaimed, a little frantic, "That's not what I meant! I-It's okay to request Haruhi! I-I mean, it's normal for male bonding, right?"

He laughed shakily, "It's no problem, senpai. If you don't mind, I'd just like to wait here and talk to you."

She smiled. "I don't mind at all. I myself was planning on going to see the host club after they've closed," she said.

"So, senpai, how come I haven't seen you around here until just a couple of days ago?" Kasanoda questioned.

"I've been in a coma for a year," she answered, sadness entering her voice, "About a year and a week ago, I nearly gave up my life to save Takashi's. A few days after the doctors managed to stabilize me, I had already fallen into a deep coma, with little chance of waking up. Fortunately, though I was rendered unable to move and whatnot, somewhere in my mind, I could still hear whoever was in the room, whether they were talking to me or not. And then just a few days ago, I woke from my year-long sleep."

He blinked. "W-Wow…" he breathed, nearly speechless, "B-But why did you need to save Morinozuka-senpai's life? Was someone after him?"

She nodded. "A couple of guys wanted to get back at him for saving me just about 2 and a half months prior to the incident. I'm not sure why they thought killing him was the best revenge. Anyway, I figured something was up, and ran to the designated location nearly last minute, as I wasn't told Mori was to go there until the near last moment. I pushed him out of the way as this strange huge titanium alloy box rose from the ground and trapped me instead of him. A thick sheet of glass was on the side I was facing, and sheets of pure titanium alloy surrounded my other sides. Moments later, I found myself inhaling some weird gas, and I could no longer breathe. I felt something else pierce into me as well, which I found to be a bullet shot from an automatic silencer somehow built into the machine box."

Kasanoda found himself to be trapped within her sad story, listening silently with his gaze securely fixed on her.

"Mori tried to break through the glass, but to no avail. I tried a few times on my side, but I was losing strength quickly. Very soon, I collapsed and lost consciousness, even though I tried my hardest. Then, I began to hear voices soon after I had fallen into my coma," Kazumi finished, "I had been patiently waiting until I could regain control of my body and awaken from my coma, and after a full year, the waiting had paid off. So here I am, just a few days later, and let me tell you, it hasn't been easy readjusting."

Unbeknownst to him, tears streamed from Kasanoda's eyes and down his cheeks. Kazumi looked at him, a somewhat confused expression on her face. "Why are you crying?" she asked, and he was suddenly aware that the salty drops of water were staining his face and quickly wiped them away.

"I-It's just… such a sad story," he said, stammering slightly as if to find the right words so he wouldn't offend her.

She smiled. "Don't worry about it. Thank you, though, for crying on my account. It's nice to know that you care," she offered, "especially knowing that we really just met."

His blush deepened. "Um… y-you're welcome?" He made it sound more like a question than a reply, though it was completely unintentional.

Kazumi chuckled gently. "You're a good person, Ritsu Kasanoda, and I can see that. I think we'll get along quite nicely," she somewhat complimented.

He blinked, his blush darkening even more. "U-Uh…yeah…" he trailed off, averting his crimson gaze.

"So… what's your story?" she asked, "How did you meet the members of the host club?"

He flushed in embarrassment as he remembered how they had forced him to dress oddly for the sake of looking 'not-so-scary' with a 'lovely item' and all that. "Um…well… I was jealous and envied how someone as scary-looking as Morinozuka-senpai could have so many friends and be so respected," he explained.

She burst into laughter. "Mori isn't _that_ scary-looking," she corrected, "only except when he's angry, which, I daresay, isn't too often."

"Huh…" the redhead pondered.

Both turned towards the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. A light-brown haired guy ran up to them. He had an umbrella in his hand.

"Tetsuya, what are you doing here?" Kasanoda inquired.

"I heard it might rain later today, so I brought it for you," he retorted, handing his master the umbrella. He spotted the girl beside him and bowed. "Hello, I'm Tetsuya Sendo, a servant to the young lord here."

Kasanoda seemed slightly disappointed. "Aw, come on Tetsuya, you and the guys are like, my best buds."

Kazumi giggled in amusement. "I'm Kazumi Shirozaki, a third-year here at Ouran Academy," she greeted, offering him her hand, "it's nice to meet you."

Tetsuya accepted the hand and shook it warmly, a little surprised by the bandages and bruises all over her body. _Hmm… I wonder if the master likes her._ He thought, _his face is unnaturally red. Well, she's quite the charming young woman, so I wouldn't blame him if he did have a crush on her. Hmm… I wonder if he has a chance._

"So… what happened to you?" he asked curiously and as casually as he could.

"Ah… in the shortest of terms, I got into a fight," she summarized, "Nothing to worry about now though." Then she yawned, "I think I'll just take a quick nap." She laid back down on the grass and closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as her muscles loosened and relaxed.

Tetsuya looked at Kasanoda. "C-Can I talk to you for a moment?" he inquired.

"Sure," he replied, putting a hand gently on Kazumi's arm, "I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?"

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, "Take your time."

Then the two guys went quite a distance away but still within view of the third-year female's resting body.

"What's up?" Kasanoda asked casually.

Tetsuya decided to play it cool. "Is there a reason why your face is so red?" he asked, making his voice sound clueless.

He looked surprise. "HUH?! I-It is?!" he exclaimed, trying to cover up his face with his hands.

Tetsuya blinked. "Hmm, sir, do you think you may _like_ Kazumi-chan?" he implored.

"I-I don't know," he stammered, "S-She's just so _cute_ when she smiles, and she just, she's so _kind-hearted_. I-I just, argh! I don't know! I just met her and all though, so I don't know!"

"You like her," he stated, "well… I don't blame you. She's very cute, though I think she might be a little violent perhaps, but I'm not sure. That may be just me."

For 20 minutes, Kasanoda argued how he didn't think he was crushing on Kazumi as the young woman slept. Tetsuya continued to retort that there was no other reason why he would blush like that if he didn't.

"Hey, Tetsuya, I'll talk to you later okay, I think the host club will be closing soon," Kasanoda concluded, "Thanks for bring the umbrella."

The servant laughed. "Sure, no problem," he said, "I'll see you later."

The redhead walked back over to Kazumi and kneeled next to her, shaking her gently. "Hey, senpai? Wake up, I think the host club is going to close soon, so we can head over there now."

But the third-year didn't respond nor awaken from his calls. Her body remained motionless and still.

"Hey, Shirozaki-senpai?" he inquired, a little worried now. He took her hand and felt her pulse, it was still there beating strong and steady, but her skin was rather cold. He held his hand over her face to check her breathing. "Senpai?" he asked, his expression just as worried. Her breathing hadn't changed. It was like… she had fallen into a deep sleep or something.

Concerned and becoming a little panicky, he ran inside to the host club, where the last customer had just left. He burst in through the double doors, making all eyes fall on him, and he exclaimed breathlessly, "K-K-Kazumi-senpai isn't-isn't waking up!"

"Where is she?!" Mori demanded, his voice threatening enough to scare Kasanoda.

"O-Outside," he stammered, "Under the tree." _What the hell was she talking about? He's got a scary face and voice,_ he thought.

Immediately, he disappeared out the door and the rest of the club (and Kasanoda) followed. Mori ran over to the seemingly-sleeping third-year, kneeling down to her and pulling her into his arms. "Kazumi, Kazumi, Kazumi!" he shouted, shaking her, "Wake up!"

Her head rolled limply on his arm, her body motionless. He clutched her tightly against him, trying to figure out what was wrong. Then he noticed that her skin was cold, and immediately pulled off his uniform coat, putting it over her shoulders and rubbing her arms furiously. "Come on, Kazumi, warm up, warm up," he muttered.

"I-Is she okay?" Tamaki inquired as Kyoya called for a doctor through his cell.

Hurriedly, Honey ran back to the club room as Mori didn't reply, continuing to warm Kazumi's body up. Hikaru and Kaoru ran after the boy-Lolita host. "Come on, Kazumi, come on," Mori begged.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up into a now-hazy grey sky, before noticing the eyes of her boyfriend. "Mori?" she whispered, "What are you doing here? Wait… where am I?"

Kasanoda sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're okay. You weren't responding nor moving, so I got the host club."

"It was good of you to come get us, Kasanoda," Haruhi said.

Suddenly, Honey, Hikaru and Kaoru came running back with several blankets, quickly tossing them to Mori, who wrapped them around her still-cold body.

`Kazumi, are you okay?" the kendo national champion demanded from her, staring her deep in the eyes.

"Y-Yeah," she responded, a little taken aback by his question and the worry set in his dark eyes, "Why do you ask?"

"You wouldn't wake up when I tried to wake you so we could head over to the host club," Kasanoda explained, "So I ran to get the host club."

"Oh…" she trailed off, sitting up with a hand on her forehead. She rubbed her bare arms and bandages and asked, "why do I feel so cold?"

Mori wrapped the thick blankets around her and pulled her taut against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "I was so worried," he mumbled into her ear, his arms tightening around her.

"Oh, Bossanova?" Hikaru began, getting his name wrong…again, "Kazumi-senpai also knows about Haruhi's secret."

"So you don't need to worry about that," Kaoru continued.

Kazumi winced gently in Mori's rock-hard grip. "M-Mori," she winced, her breaths sharp, "y-you're hurting me. I-I c-can't b-breathe."

He loosened his hold on her, and whispered, "Sorry."

Kasanoda leaned towards Kaoru and Hikaru. "What is their relationship?" he asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"They're very close, as in, very, _very_ close," Hikaru said.

"Why, Bossanova? Are you jealous?" Kaoru teased.

He blushed. "No!" he hissed, just low enough that Mori and Kazumi couldn't hear.

"So," Kyoya said with an interested tone, "you have a crush on Kazumi-senpai, huh?" _Blackmail…_ he thought darkly with glee.

His blush deepened as Kazumi said, "I'm sorry. I guess I must have passed out while I was resting. And its getting a little chilly out here. I think Tetsuya was right, it's going to rain. I'm not too sure how I got so cold so soon, so maybe I might be catching a cold or something."

"Come on, let's take you to the club room," Mori announced, sweeping her up into his arms. Her arms were loosely wrapped around her neck, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Yeah!" Honey exclaimed cheerfully, "We'll get you some tea to warm you up!"

Haruhi turned to her redhead friend. "You also wanted to see us today, didn't you?" she asked.

Tamaki turned to look at Kyoya. "I do believe that we still have that cold medicine in the first aid kit in the prep room," he half-asked, "it hasn't expired, has it?"

"No, I don't believe it has," the vice-president answered.

"I-I think my body weakens when I'm really cold," Kazumi whispered, her eyes fluttering, "I-I-I-f-feel-" Her body dropped limp in his arms, her arms falling from around his neck.

"No!" Mori hissed, pressing her tighter against him, "We've got to get her inside now!"

"Let's hurry!" Kaoru exclaimed, and they all ran back towards the club room.

The tallest host club member set her down onto the couch, letting her head settle on the pillow. He kneeled down next to her side, taking her cold hand in his.

They heard a knock at the door and Kyoya announced, "The doctor's here." Then he shouted towards the door, "Come in."

The door opened and the same doctor that tended to Kazumi the night before walked in, his familiar green eyes searching for the patient, his medical kit in hand. "Ah, you called, sir?" he asked.

"Dr. Kenji Hitsumori, it's good to see you again," Kyoya retorted.

"I take it you two have met recently?" Tamaki guessed.

"Yes, that's correct," the shadow king agreed, "Dr. Hitsumori tended to Kazumi-senpai's wounds last night when she was injured." He turned to the doctor. "I'm afraid your patient is the same. She's on the couch."

He grimaced, "What happened?" he demanded, rushing over to his patient's side. He snatched her hand from Mori's and quickly checked her pulse, followed by him checking her breathing and her temperature.

"Her name is Kazumi Shirozaki," Honey told, "She's been in a coma for a year, and just came out of the hospital 2 days ago. Last night she was-"

"Attacked by a group of men, yes I know," Dr. Hitsumori finished, opening his medical kit and taking out a syringe and a vial of a clear liquid, "I tended to her last night after Mr. Ootori called."

Kazumi's eyes fluttered half-open. "W-Where am I?" she rasped.

"You're in the club room," Hikaru said quietly.

"Are you okay, senpai?" Kaoru inquired worriedly.

Kenji forced a brief smile. "It's good to see you're awake, Kazumi-chan," he said, "How are you feeling right now?"

"I-Incredibly tired," she sighed, "I-I just… wanna sleep or something." Her eyes began to slip shut.

"It's best you not," the doctor instructed, and she forced her eyes to stay open, "Your heartbeat is slowing. I'm afraid that is the reason why you feel tired. Not to scare you and the rest of your friends, but your heart looks like it's about to give out."

Mori tensed, afraid he was about to lose her.

"I-Isn't there anything you can do?" Tamaki asked, his voice somewhat desperate.

The doctor rolled up her sleeve and disinfected a spot on her arm before filling up the syringe. "Yep," he said, injecting it into her. Then he looked at Mori. "Can you help me hold her down? She'll react to the adrenaline any moment now." He held down her legs and Mori held down her shoulders.

Suddenly her body bucked, her limbs shaking violently before she fell motionless.

Dr. Hitsumori checked her pulse once more and smiled. "Good. Now, just give her three more shots of adrenaline. One before dinner, one in the morning, and one in the early evening or late afternoon," he instructed the club, taking out three one-use syringes wrapped inside a tight packaging, and three small vials. He set them on the table. "So, just those three more shots and she'll be right as rain in two days time. Just make sure you don't give her all of it at once, or else it will kill her."

Kazumi's eyes opened, and she slowly sat up. "Ugh…" she groaned, "I feel a little dizzy."

The doctor laughed, "That's probably because of the feel of the anaesthetic that's in with _this_ vial of adrenaline. Don't worry though, the other vials of adrenaline won't make you feel like this."

Mori sat next to her and pulled her against him, his purple uniform jacket already slipped back on. "Thank you, Doctor," he thanked gratefully.

"Yeah, thanks, Dr. Hitsumori," Kazumi chimed quietly.

He grinned. "It's no problem, Miss Shirozaki. How are your other injuries feeling?"

"Better since you bandaged them," she responded, "thanks again."

"As I said before, it's no problem," he said again, handing her his card, "give me a call if there's any other concerns."

She chuckled. "Yeah, it will save Kyoya the trouble of calling you," she agreed, her skin warming up to her normal temperature.

The doctor closed his medical kit, bowed to the couple, then proceeded to walk towards Kyoya. "Sir, she'll be better in two days."

"Thank you, Kenji," the youngest Ootori said, nodding his head as the doctor left.

"I'm glad you're okay, Kazumi-senpai," Kasanoda informed.

She smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad I'm okay too," she retorted.

Mori kissed her on the forehead. "I was so worried," he whispered, just low enough so that only she could hear, "I love you."

She closed her eyes, leaning closer against him. "I love you too," she mumbled, her body barely shaking from the trauma, "I'm not the luckiest person in the world, am I…"

He chuckled gently, a low rumble in his throat. "No, you're not. When it comes to getting into trouble and getting hurt, you're very lucky. However, that is not a good thing. I'm constantly worried about you. But I know _I'm_ lucky, because I have you in my life," he elaborated, "I don't want you to get hurt, so don't ever leave my sight again."

"Mori-senpai, it's best if you take Kazumi-senpai home now," Hikaru suggested.

"She looks tired," Kaoru added, "Or at least, somewhat tired."

"Well… the car will be coming around soon to pick us up, therefore, there's not much we can do until then," he replied as Honey brought over a cup of tea and saucer, handing it to Kazumi.

"Here you go, Kazu-chan!" he exclaimed.

She accepted it, inhaling its warm and comforting aroma. "Thanks Mitsukuni," she thanked quietly, slowly sipping at the tea.

Mori wrapped an arm carefully around her waist, very conscious about not spilling the tea. He kissed her on the cheek gently, causing a pang of jealousy in Kasanoda.

"Can you keep another secret, Bossanova?" Tamaki implored.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he responded.

"Well… Kasanoda's kept _my_ secret so far," Haruhi said.

"For over a year now," Kaoru and Hikaru began.

Honey smiled, hugging his plush bunny tightly. "Kazu-chan and Takashi have been secretly dating. They love each other very much."

Kasanoda felt a hard sinking feeling in his chest at that comment.

Mori suddenly noticed that his hand felt a little damp, and when he looked at it, it was covered in blood. Then he peered carefully from behind the blanket around her and noticed that Kazumi's side was bleeding, and that the side of her white shirt was soaked in blood. "Kazumi!" he exclaimed, "You're bleeding!"

"Huh?" she inquired, calmly setting down her teacup before sliding off the blanket, wincing as she felt a spark of pain in her side before spotting the rose of blood continuing to bloom on her shirt, "Oh, I am. Last night's wound must have reopened again, I guess."

"Are you alright?!" Haruhi demanded.

She sighed, looking up at the first year. "I'm fine, Haruhi, don't worry about me."

"But you're hurt," Hikaru said.

"Calm down guys, stop worrying. It's only a reopened wound. I'm not gonna die or anything," she tried to reassure.

Kyoya sighed, leaving the room only to return with a medical kit of his own. "This is one of my family's medical kits. You may find some items that may prove useful," he explained, handing it to Mori.

The older student immediately opened it, taking out some bandages as well as some wads of cloth and disinfectant. He kneeled down next to Kazumi's injured side, and slightly pulled up her blouse, revealing the bloodied and reddened bandages. Very cautiously, he removed the bandages and set them aside, while dabbing at the wound with the disinfecting alcohol.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, her face twisting in pain. Slowly, she laid down on her good side, her wound clearly exposed now to Mori.

"Senpai!" Kasanoda exclaimed, his voice filled with worry.

"I-I'm okay," she breathed, "I was just taken by surprise, that's all. Alcohol stings on exposed flesh, remember?"

Takashi kneeled closer to her face, gently allowing his lips to rest on hers before looking deeply into her eyes. "Kazumi, I'm sorry, but this may hurt a little," he warned.

"I know," she told him, giving him a small smile before allowing her eyes to close.

The dark-haired 18-year-old sadly tended to her wound as the others silently watched, and as Mori applied on the new bandages, he fixed up her blouse, covering over the bandages and setting aside the medical kit. He touched her cheek gently, and she opened her eyes, giving him a tired smile.

"Okay, I'm taking you home right now," he announced, turning her onto her back before picking her up in his arms.

"I agree," Tamaki sighed, "Kazumi-senpai has been through a lot of pain today, and deserves a lot of rest."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Morinozuka-senpai, Shirozaki-senpai," Kasanoda said, as Mori briefly grabbed both their schoolbags and the medication and began to leave.

"See you guys tomorrow," he stated bluntly.

"Bye… you… guys…" Kazumi whispered, her eyes closing.

"Take good care of her Takashi," Honey ordered.

His cousin nodded. "Don't worry, I will, Mitsukuni," he assured, carrying his girlfriend out. Outside it has already began to rain. As they exited the building, raindrops began to pelt them, drenching both them and their clothes. Mori leaned protectively over Kazumi, trying to shield her from the oncoming downpour of rain. Wet strands of hair clung onto his forehead as he stared down at her as they walked towards the entrance of the academy. As they approached the limo, the driver ran over to them, an umbrella already in hand and opened. He held it above their heads, preventing the rain from touching them further.

"Master Morinozuka, Lady Shirozaki," he greeted, bowing before they returned to the limo, Mori resting Kazumi against him as they sat together in the limo.

"M-Mori?" Kazumi whispered gently, her eyes barely open as her wet hair clung onto her. She weakly glanced up at him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him.

He looked down at her with dark worried eyes. "Kazumi, are you okay?" he queried quietly, taking her other hand and entwining his fingers with hers.

"Yes," she answered, "I'm afraid I'll be skipping dinner and heading straight off to bed, after I take the dose of adrenaline, of course."

He tilted her head up to look at him before gently kissing her, letting his lips linger on hers for a moment before pulling back and kissing her on the forehead. Then, he gently tilted her head so that it exposed her neck, and kissed her neck, his lips gently caressing her soft skin. She let out a soft moan in pleasure, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He stopped when she tensed at a spark of pain in her side. The kendo champion pulled away from her, worried.

"Are you okay?" he inquired quietly.

"Yes," she replied, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Very gently, he closed his eyes and kissed her again, allowing his lips to linger longer on hers. One of his hands rested on her cheek, while the other carefully wrapped around her waist. Her hand was on his arm, while the other was tangled in his short hair. She tensed once more as the limo hit a small bump, a small cry of pain erupting from her.

"Kazumi!" Mori hissed, "Are you hurt?"

She leaned back against the seat, sighing, "Maybe we should save this until we get home, or until I get a little better."

He pulled her against him so her head rested against his shoulder. "I love you so much," he whispered as she exhaled deeply.

"I love you too, Takashi," she breathed as they arrived.

They were escorted back into the mansion, where Kazumi left to go take a shower and change while Mori himself went to go get washed and changed before beginning to start on his homework in their room before dinner. When Kazumi got out, she was wearing a female yukata, her hair neatly dried and down as he was wearing a male yukata himself.

"Hey," she greeted tiredly, walking over to him with the syringe and vial, "Do you mind helping me with the injection?"

"Hey," he answered, "Not at all." He took the syringe and filled it up with adrenaline from the vial.

Kazumi pulled up her sleeve to her shoulder, and he injected it into her arm in the same spot where the doctor did it earlier. When he was done he disposed of the syringe and vial as she fixed her sleeve, covering over most of her bandages.

"Well… I'll probably get some sleep for a bit," she sighed, "then I'll see if I can come down during dinner. I haven't talked with your parents in a while...though… I don't believe your father likes me very much… More like at all…"

He stood up from his desk, taking her with him to the bed, tucking her in before kissing her briefly on the forehead. "You just need to focus on resting, don't worry about my parents. They'll understand," he replied, "My mother and brother really care for you, you know. My father… not so much…"

She smiled, closing her eyes. "I know…" she trailed off, easily easing to sleep.

A small smile graced Takashi's handsome face as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips before returning back to his desk and finishing his homework quietly.

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**PLEASE REVIEW! (then I'll post up the next dramatic chapter, in my opinion anyways. haha)**


	11. Morinozuka's Confrontation

**Hmm.. now things get a little more interesting. Oh, and just to let the readers out there know; I purposely didn't describe Mori's parents because I want to let it more be up to your imagination. But I just made sure to include traits that were passed on to Mori and Satoshi, such as dark eyes (from mother's side) and black hair (from both sides). **

**For some reason I feel a little bit of pride from this chapter. Especially when it came to Mori's father's last words to Kazumi before leaving the dining room. Very dramatic, and hopefully 'in character'. ahaha. **

**Thanks to** _~AnglsFireNIce_** for reviewing the last chapter! I agree, it seems like a kind of soap opera. hahaha. Yeah... a LOT has happened within two days, and this next one will add to the third day. Hope you keep reviewing! Thanks! :D Much appreciated!**

**Anyway, PLEASE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

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Chapter Eleven: Morinozuka's Confrontation

Soon enough, Mori was called down to dinner, and when he arrived, his parents and brother were already there waiting for him, their dishes set out in front of them. Before he left the bedroom, however, he had just briefly checked up on Kazumi, and found she was still sleeping peacefully.

"Good evening, Takashi," his father greeted, brushing back black hair.

"Good evening Father, Mother, Satoshi," he replied.

His mother's dark eyes looked worried. "Where's Kazumi-chan? I thought she came home with you today," she implored, worry set in her tone of voice.

"She's sleeping," he answered as he sat down at the long dining table, "she's had a long day. She may be joining us later though."

"Is she alright?" Satoshi inquired.

His older brother nodded. "She's recovering from her recent wounds, but the thing she needs most right now is sleep," he replied as the Morinozuka family began to eat.

Only a few minutes later, his father set down his cutlery and looked directly at his eldest son. "Takashi, there's something your mother and I have been meaning to ask you," he began seriously.

Mori set down his own cutlery, staring back at his parents. "What is it?"

An awkward moment past before his mother spoke. "Are you planning on making Kazumi-chan your wife, Takashi?" she queried, "Are you going to propose to her?"

He blinked, letting the thought sink into his head before answering without hesitation, "Yes, I do."

"What are your intentions, son?" his father asked, his eyes hardening in attempt to control his growing anger.

"Kazumi and I are both planning on attending Ouran University within the academy next year. I plan on proposing to her within our first few years of it if we are still together at that point in time," he explained.

"Well, you love her very much," Satoshi noted, "and she loves you just as much, so I think you'll both last."

"Son, she does not come from a great lineage, so do you _really_ intend on marrying this… _commoner_?" their father implored, his voice hissing at the end as his eyes carefully searching his son's face for any signs of lying or deception.

He nodded. "I do," he replied, "I've never had any interest in any of the suitors you've presented me with previously. Kazumi Shirozaki is the only woman I could ever love and marry."

His mother smiled and dipped her head, obviously pleased with his answer. His father grunted in disapproval, very much displeased with his answer.

They heard footsteps come from down the hall, and Kazumi peeked into the room before walking in. "I apologize for my tardiness, Mr. and Mrs. Morinozuka," she greeted as she took a seat beside Mori, "and I apologize if Takashi has taken any offense as a result of me and or my actions."

"It's alright, Miss Shirozaki," Mori's father returned, his voice suddenly emotionless, "I've heard you've caused quite a stir in your class due to your sudden return."

"Are you doing well, Kazumi-chan?" his mother asked, worry in her voice, "You look a little terrible."

The 18-year-old female forced a chuckle, "I suspect that would be from my injuries and the bandages."

"We heard about your parents' deaths," she stated, her voice pained and filled with sadness, "and we are sorry for your loss."

There was a brief flicker of pain in her chocolate eyes before saying quietly, "Thank you."

"Now," Mori's father began, "I understand that you are still in love with my son Takashi, is that correct?"

She nodded as a servant placed dinner in front of her. "Yes, sir," she replied, her voice calm and steady, "and I am led to the belief that he still also holds unwavering feelings of love for me in return."

"What field are you planning on studying at Ouran University?" he pried.

"I may plan on taking a double course. Possibly both business and law," she answered, "Otherwise I know I will most definitely be taking a business course. However, I've had my sights on law for a while now… So I most likely would be taking on a double course, I suppose…" _Must be from watching those law and crime dramas…_ she thought.

He narrowed his eyes at her, forcing her to look away from him, instead looking down at her lap. "You _do_ understand that my son will be taking over the Morinozuka dojo when the time comes, correct?" he asked.

Mori flinched. He still didn't understand why his father still was reluctant to approve of his and Kazumi's relationship. His mother and brother were completely fine with it, in fact, they were more than happy about it, but only his father continued to hold something against her.

"I do," Kazumi said, "and I am more than sure that he will be a great teacher to those who wish to learn from him." At this he was silenced, seeing that there was a little ferocity within her.

As the Morinozuka head finished his dinner, he stood up and said directly to Kazumi in a deadly tone. "Remember your place well, Miss Shirozaki. Though my son may treat you differently from other commoners, remember that my son is aristocracy, and will not succumb to any commoner _foolishness_ that you may press on him!" he hissed threateningly before leaving the room.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Kazumi was badly shaken by Mori's father's harsh words, her hands trembling slightly. Gently, Mori rested his hands over hers, trying to stop her shaking. She looked up at him, fear in her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. At this he felt a pang of guilt in his heart and a desperate urge to comfort her.

His mother sighed, "Kazumi-chan, I apologize for my husband's anger and rudeness."

"I-Its okay," she stammered, still a little frightened, "I-I understand where he's coming from."

"Do you really, Kazumi-san?" Satoshi inquired.

She put her cutlery down on her plate and stood up, her eyes averted to the ground. "I-I'm suddenly not hungry anymore. Please excuse me," she stammered before running out of the room and back to her and Mori's bedroom.

Mori stood up, looking at his mother and brother, whose eyes told him to go after her. "Excuse me, Mother, Satoshi," he said before following after her. When he arrived back at their room, he found her sitting on the bed, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees as she buried her head in her lap, her body shaking. He sat down and wound his arms around her, pulling her against him. His hand rested reassuringly on her back, but only to feel her tremble and shake.

"I'm apologize for my father's behaviour," he muttered to her.

"W-Why does he hate me so?" she asked him in a shaky and scared voice, tears falling from her eyes, "W-What did I do wrong?"

"Shhh…" he whispered, resting his cheek on the top of her head, "you didn't do anything wrong. It's okay, I'm here. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you, I promise."

Suddenly, the door flew open and the two split apart in surprise, and his father stomped in, slapping Kazumi viciously in the face and she fell to the floor.

"Father-!" Mori began in alarm.

"Silence, Takashi!" he snapped, looking down at his son's girlfriend, "Get out." Then he grabbed her by the throat with one hand and pinned her to the wall, choking her. Her hands fluttered against his iron grip, which was crushing her windpipe. She gasped in an attempt to breathe, as her airway was completely cut off.

"Father! Your hurting her!" Mori shouted, approaching them with deadly silence. At that moment Satoshi and his mother ran into the room.

"Dad! What are you doing?!" Satoshi exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.

"GET OUT!" he yelled in a thundering voice before throwing Kazumi towards the window. Her body smashed through the glass and began to fall three storeys.

"NO!" Mori cried, running toward the window, "Kazumi!"

He only ran in time to see her body crashing onto shards of broken glass and the wet ground, a sharp cry of pain escaping her lips but was lost in the crash of thunder. It was still pouring hard outside, with some thunder and lightning. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, trying to adjust to her new surroundings as rain fell on her face and clothes, quickly soaking her yukata. But more so, was the blood that was also beginning to overtake the formally clean fabric. Her breaths came out raspy and uneven, as she tried to regulate her breathing again.

Immediately Satoshi and his mother ran out of the room, while Takashi's father stopped him from leaving, and instead Takashi could only go over to the window and watch. For a moment, their eyes met, and he saw pain and regret in her eyes before she struggled onto her feet, clutching at a glass shard embedded in her side as she began to stumble towards the gates, a trail of blood behind her before being washed away in the rain.

"No, Kazumi! Don't go!" Mori called, desperation in his voice, "You can't! You're hurt!"

She cast him one last weak little smile as if to say 'I'll be alright', one hand on her bleeding side as the other was leaning heavily against the wooden door before disappearing from his sight as she left the estate.

Angrily, the kendo champion whirled on his father. "What have you done?" he hissed.

"She's slowing you down, Takashi," his father informed calmly, "I had to get rid of her, she was holding back your full potential. You are the heir to the Morinozuka estate, and thus, you cannot have weak _fools_ preventing you from doing what you must do."

This flared Mori's anger further. "What you did could have killed her! I _love_ her, Father! Why can't you just accept that?!"

"I did what I had to do!" his father snapped, his anger returning, "Know your place, Takashi! You will be head of the Morinozuka family and dojo in the future, so you must not have these type of people hold you back!"

Fuming, the third-year slipped past his father and began to run down towards the exit.

"Where are you going?!" his father demanded.

Not looking back, Mori answered, "I'm going after her. She's injured. If she loses too much blood she'll die, and I can't let that happen."

The Morinozuka patriarch took a single leap and landed in front of Mori, stopping him in his tracks. "I cannot allow you to do that, Takashi," he growled, his dark eyes blazing with fury and rage, "Return to _your_ chambers this instant."

Reluctantly, Mori had no choice but to return to his own single bedroom. He knew he couldn't disobey his father, but another part in his heart told him he needed to go after Kazumi. Who knows what could happen to her? Especially while she's wounded and soaking wet. He looked out his window and into the cold, unforgiving rain.

_Kazumi…_ he thought worriedly, _Please be alright…_

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Injured and feeling weak from the loss of blood and the pain, Kazumi stumbled through the wet streets, empty of any people.

"D-Damn…" she breathed, "I-I've got to find… a d-doctor…"

Slowly but surely, she dragged herself to the Ootori estate, and rang at the gates.

"Who is it?" the night guard asked in a tired voice.

"K-Kazumi Shirozaki," she breathed weakly, "P-Please, I need to see… K-Kyoya…"

"Give me a moment," he said.

Feeling very weak, she held onto the wall, breathing hard. "P-Please hurry," she whispered, knowing she was going to collapse soon.

Inside, Kyoya was just finishing his homework when he received word that he was needed. He switched on his plasma screen TV, and switched the input to the front gate security camera. His eyes widened as he saw his bloodied and nearly half-dead senpai, and immediately jumped to his feet and began to run, at the same time shouting to a nearby maid, "Call a doctor! We have an emergency!" He ran out the door and into the rain, yelling to the other guards near the gate, "Open the gate!" and they obliged, quickly opening the double gates.

Kazumi weakly stammered toward him before collapsing, and the vice-president quickly caught her in his arms.

"Senpai!" Kyoya exclaimed, "What happened?! Where's Mori-senpai?"

"M-Morinozuka… E-Estate…" she breathed, her eyes fluttering closed, "F-Father…" Then she blacked out, weakened from the blood loss.

Hurriedly, he got one of the guards to carry her in, where they took her to the medical center within the estate. His father, Yoshio Ootori, patriarch of the Ootori family, adjusted his glasses and looked at his son with cold, uncompromising eyes as he approached after the guard carried Kazumi in.

"Kyoya, who is this girl?" he demanded.

"A friend of mine," Kyoya answered, "She goes to Ouran high school too. Third-year student, class A, Kazumi Shirozaki. It appears that she is injured."

He glared at his third son. "And do you have authorization to do this?" he inquired.

Suddenly they heard another set of footsteps approach, and Kyoya's older sister, Fuyumi Ootori, stopped in front of them.

"Is there a problem here, father?" she asked curiously.

He sighed, "Not at all, Fuyumi. It's just that Kyoya decides to bring in a new patient who collapses right at our door." He scoffed before turning to leave. "After she recovers, Kyoya, make sure she leaves," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," Kyoya obeyed, turning to his sister.

"My, my, my, Kyoya, why are you all wet?" she asked, finding the sight a little amusing. Then they peered through the glass, seeing various doctors and nurses beginning to tend to Kazumi's wounds, while keeping her alive at the same time. "Do you know that girl?"

"I'm wet because I went out to get her. Yes, I know her. She's another student at my school, a third-year who offers to assist me in my calculations and such at times. More than several occasions, I must add. I'm unsure at what happened to her this time, but she was injured by something or _someone_," he answered, "and if she stumbled all the way here to me, I knew I had to help her. She lost her parents just last year, and so she lives alone."

Her eyes looked sad as she glanced at her strained face. "The poor girl," she said quietly, "Don't worry, I'll stop father from trying to prevent you from helping her."

"Thanks, Fuyumi," her younger brother breathed, gratefulness in his tone of voice.

As she looked at the second-year student, she could see concern and worry in his eyes, something that she noted changed his outlook. It made him seem… different, somehow. He'd change from the manipulative boy who always tried to find some benefit in every situation to a young adult who knew how to have fun at the same time find benefits in certain situations. Not to mention he began to more openly show his concern for others. "Do you think she'll be okay?" she asked, turning back to look over at Kazumi's limp body.

Kyoya sighed sadly, "I don't know, Fuyumi, I just don't know."

* * *

**YAY! CLIFFY! haha, anyway, thanks for keeping up with the story so far! Hope you've liked it so far!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Miracles Happen

**Well... here's the next chapter!**

**Please R&R!**

**(PS: I apologize if I got any miscalculations, aka, US or Canadian dollars to Yen, and about the defibrillator. I'm not that well trained about medical knowledge. lol)**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Miracles Happen

The next day, early in the morning, Kyoya had Kazumi transferred to an Ootori hospital, where he knew she would have the best possible treatment that she could. He promised himself that he would take charge of the payments, and pay for all of her medical insurance, knowing that she most likely couldn't handle it herself. The third-year was in some sort of deep sleep, and wouldn't awaken.

The day passed by slowly, and finally, school came to an end, and he went to the third music room. For the moment, only he and Tamaki were there, and soon, one by one, the others came, until they were all there.

"Hey Mori-senpai," Tamaki noted, looking behind him, "Where's Kazumi-senpai?"

His eyes look pained. "She's gone…" he said quietly.

"What do you mean she's gone?!" Hikaru exclaimed.

"What happened to her?!" Kaoru asked.

"She disappeared," Honey answered before turning to his cousin, "Takashi, why don't you tell us all what happened?"

They all took a seat around the table, where Mori folded his hands, sighing deeply before beginning, "For unexplainable reasons, my father does not approve of Kazumi and my relationship. Last night, he snapped. He nearly strangled her, ordered her to leave, and threw her out the window. She fell three storeys, and fell on glass. He wouldn't allow me to go after her, and she disappeared into the thunderstorm. I haven't heard nor seen her since."

There was a moment of silence as they let his explanation sunk in.

"T-That's terrible," Haruhi whispered.

"Where could she have gone?" Kaoru wondered out loud.

Tamaki's eyes looked sad. "I hope she's okay…" he trailed off.

"She's at the Ootori general hospital," Kyoya informed calmly, "She collapsed outside my house last night. I've already had my private doctors attend to her, and she's resting. I wasn't sure what happened, but now everything is crystal clear due to Mori-senpai's explanation."

"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed.

"She's been with you this whole time?!" Hikaru shouted.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, Kyo-chan?" Honey asked, his voice still honey-sweet.

"I told myself I would only bring it up when it came to it," he defended, "I suggest that we go see her instead of opening up today. I know it may not help our profits but the safety of a friend should be more important, right? I told the doctor to give me a call when she woke up, but I haven't received a call all day. I already have a car outside waiting for us."

"Come on," Mori said, an urgency in his voice, "let's go."

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15 minutes later, the host club stood outside Kazumi's room. Out of all of them, Mori was the most worried to see her, he still carried the two remaining vials and syringes in his pocket.

"Come on, let's go in," Tamaki encouraged, and opened the door.

One by one, they stepped into the room. Bandages were wrapped around her forehead, her arms also littered with bandages as well. The heart rate monitor beeped as her heart was beating at a normal rate, and her breathing was quietly normal.

"We're not sure what's wrong with her," the doctor informed Kyoya, "She should have woken up by now. We didn't give her too much aesthetic, and her wounds weren't _too_ serious. However, we're guessing that she's been through traumatizing events in which caused her time to stop. If this continues, her heart rate will begin to jump before it gives out completely. I'd say she needs to wake up before… at least midnight tonight. We've already given her many blood transfusions to keep up with all the blood she's lost."

Mori kneeled next to his girlfriend and rolled up her sleeve, taking out a syringe and the vial. Gently, he injected the contents of the vial into her arm.

Suddenly, her heart rate jumped for a moment before relaxing back down.

"Oh Senpai…" Tamaki sighed quietly, gently kissing her on her bandaged forehead.

Honey pushed Usa-chan into her embrace. "Please wake up, Kazu-chan. We all miss you very dearly," he said.

Gently, Mori lifted her head and cradled her against him. "Kazumi, please… wake up," he whispered, tears falling from his eyes, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I beg of you, wake up."

"Mori-senpai, why are you crying?" Kaoru inquired.

"Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked.

He looked up. "Last night, before she was thrown out, I promised her that I would protect her as long as I was with her. But… I failed her. Now she might die… because of me. Because of the mistake I made, because I couldn't stand up to my father. Not even to protect her," he explained pessimistically. He pulled her close against him, letting his lips fall on hers. "I love her with all my heart."

"Why won't your father accept her?" Haruhi queried.

"Because she's a commoner," he answered, laying her back down, "My parents asked me a single question that probably made my father snapped."

"What question was that?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked in union.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kyoya pointed out, taking several notes in his little black notebook.

Mori looked at his friends. "Whether I was planning on marrying Kazumi. I told them I was intending to propose to her in university, and I guess that's when I figured that my dad was going to do something rash. But I couldn't stand up to him to defend her until it was already too late."

All of a sudden, Kazumi's heart stopped beating as her breathing disappeared, and the heart line went flat.

"Move out of the way!" a doctor shouted, pushing them aside as a nurse rolled in a external manual defibrillator, and he tore open her medical robes, and positioned the two paddles, ready for the call. "Clear!" he shouted, and her body jumped as a jolt of electricity pumped through her.

"No pulse," the nurse said, taking off the breathing mask.

"Raise the charge and let's try again," the doctor ordered, rubbing the paddles together, ready to try again.

_Please, Kazumi, please…_ Mori begged frantically, _You can't die on me. _

"Come on, Kazumi-senpai. You can't give up," Kaoru whispered.

"Nothing will be the same without you," Hikaru added.

_We need you, Senpai, _Kyoya thought urgently, _the host club is nothing without your assistance._

"Clear!" he shouted, shocking her again, "Pulse?"

"Negative," the nurse answered, "Should we give?"

The Ootori private medical doctor glanced over at Kyoya and the rest of them, seeing the distress and worry in their eyes. "One more. Put the charge on full," he ordered.

"But that may kill her!" she protested.

"She'll die without it so we have nothing to lose, this is our last chance to save her!" he snapped, "Put it on full, NOW!" Quickly she turned it up and he rubbed the paddles together one last time. "Clear!"

The line remained flat, and he glanced up at the clock. "Time of death, 3:26 PM," he announced quietly, putting away the paddles and fixing her patient's robe as the nurse turned off the defibrillator.

Immediately, Honey burst into tears, sobbing as he hugged his bunny tightly. Haruhi embraced him, tears falling from her own large brown eyes. Hikaru and Kaoru hugged each other, not wanting to believe that the older student was dead. Kyoya closed his notebook, hiding his eyes as tears filled them, he tried to remain sober, though inside he was breaking. Tamaki sobbed loudly, weeping uncontrollably. Only Mori stood, his eyes wide and filled with tears, beginning to fall from his eyes, knowing because of his mistake, it had cost him his girlfriend's life. Kazumi was dead because he couldn't protect her. He walked over and cradled her corpse in his arms, holding her tightly against him, tears falling from his eyes in endless waterfalls. Her head lolled limply on his shoulder, her beautiful chocolate eyes forever shut. His fingers entangled in hers, clutching on tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kazumi," he whispered, kissing her gently on the forehead as he rocked her body back and forth, "Because of me, you died. Because of my mistake. I couldn't protect you… I love you so much… I'm so, so sorry…"

Without warning, one weak beep appeared on the flat line, followed by another one, stronger this time.

"W-What's happening?" Mitsukuni stammered, tears filling his eyes.

"She's coming back to life," the doctor breathed in amazement as they all watched the heart line continue to strengthen until it returned to normal.

The nurse actually checked her to pulse to see whether it wasn't a joke, and it wasn't. Her heart beat strongly and her breathing was regular once more.

"It's a miracle," Kyoya whispered, his eyes wide in shock.

Suddenly, Kazumi's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes as Mori stepped aside and away, still feeling guilty, but with an insane glimmer of hope in him. "W-What's going on? Why are you guys all crying? What's that defibrillator doing here?" she asked quietly.

"KAZUMI!" Honey, Haruhi, Tamaki, Kaoru and Hikaru exclaimed, tackling her into a huge hug.

She winced slightly as they embraced her tightly. "Guys, guys, what's wrong? Ooh, and be careful, my wounds still need to heal."

"You were dead for a few minutes Onee-chan," Tamaki said, "and then you came back to life."

"We were so worried," Honey whimpered.

"Your survival was truly a miracle," the doctor said, beginning to leave with the nurse.

"Thanks for saving me, Doc.," she thanked gratefully.

The majority of the host club released her from their compassionate embrace and all eyes turned to Mori, who, in a flash, appeared at her side, his arms tightly around her. He was shaking, and it appeared that he was weeping. "Oh Kazumi," he sobbed, his lips at her ear, "I-It's all my fault you were hurt. I-It's all my fault you nearly died. I-I promised I would protect you, and I failed. I'm so sorry. I love you so much. I thought I lost you."

Her arms carefully wrapped around his back, pulling him closer against her, a small smile on her face. "I love you too," she said, pulling him back so she could look at him. Gently, she kissed him deeply before pulling away. "That's the last time we should kiss," she informed, "your father is strongly against me being with you, and I can see it's a risk to both my health and your happiness. Maybe it's best if we broke up."

The room fell silent as they watched it sink into the third-year kendo champion.

"But I love you, Kazumi," he whispered, his heart twisting in pain, "I always have and always will."

She gave him a sad but true smile. "I know, and I love you too. But I don't want to be the cause of tension within your family. I've caused enough people pain," she explained.

"I don't want you to leave me," he choked, hugging her close against him.

She pulled away and rested a hand on his cheek, and he held it tightly against him. She gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice. I love you, Takashi, and I'm sorry."

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door, and when they looked, it turned out to be Mori's father with, surprisingly, bruises forming on his face. Almost instantaneously, Honey was already positioned defensively between him and Kazumi, his honey-brown eyes suspicious and revenge-stricken, and the rest of the host club somewhat to actually glared at the Morinozuka patriarch.

He looked at Kazumi with guilty and regretful eyes. "Miss Shirozaki… I'm sorry for what happened last night. I didn't mean to lose my temper with you. I'm sorry for hurting you too. I was just worried about my son's future. But now I know that he's most happiest with you," he apologized deeply, turning to his son, "Takashi, I'm sorry I made you worry about her because of what I did. You made a good decision by choosing her. She's a beautiful and kind-hearted young woman. I give you both my best wishes. I will not further protest against your relationship but instead support it, even if it may be a little difficult for me to accept."

Kazumi smiled warmly. "Thank you, sir," she said.

Mori couldn't help but grin, which was most unlike him. "I guess Mother must have given you hell after she and Satoshi discovered Kazumi had left," he somewhat teased.

The older Morinozuka nodded. "Both of you have showed me that as long as you love your partner very much, their status does not matter," he said, turning back to Kazumi, "I apologize for all the hardships I've caused upon you. Please, don't be afraid to return to the Morinozuka estate. You will be welcomed with open arms from _all_ of us."

"Thank you," she answered, "However, you'd not need to worry about me for a while. Takashi and I were about to break up. I feel like our relationship is bringing pain upon ourselves and others around us." _More or less me, _she thought grimly, _I don't think I can take much more of a beating. _

"What?" Mori argued, "We're not breaking up." He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "There's nothing that wants to come between us anymore. My father accepts you as my one and only love."

She smiled, kissing him softly. He kissed back sweetly, letting his hand settle on her cheek.

"Awww… they're so cute!" Honey exclaimed.

They pulled away, resting their foreheads together. Then Mori's father walked over to them and embraced Kazumi gently. In reaction, she tensed momentarily in fear before slowly relaxing into the embrace. "I really _am_ sorry for causing you all this pain," he whispered to her, "and I hope that you'll come to forgive me one day for my actions."

"Probably," she replied, "I'll recover soon enough." She rested back against her pillow and smiled at them. "Please let me rest now. Don't worry, I'll be at school tomorrow. Don't want to miss my own birthday party/dance, right?" she teased.

Mori brushed her cheek with his thumb. "I'll come to pick you up tomorrow morning before heading off the school. I'll bring along your uniform, or uh… would you still rather the outfit of mismatched clothes."

"Mismatched clothes," she answered, "though if you don't mind, grab me a long-sleeved blouse instead of the short one, considering the short one is still bloodied and will reveal every single one of my injuries."

"It took a while for the doctors to remove all of the glass shards from your body," Kyoya commented, "So they did a lot of stitching so try not to rip any of them so you don't have to get them re-sown. It's not going to come cheap, Senpai."

Mori's father's eyes had a flicker of guilt in them for a moment.

"I know," she sighed, "Due to all of the other injuries I've taken earlier, I'm probably already broke and in debt. I'll figure out some way to pay for it."

"We can pay for it," Mori's father offered as Mori thought the same thing.

Kyoya chuckled, closing his book, "On the contrary, Sir, I've already gotten it covered."

"K-Kyoya!" Kazumi protested, abruptly sitting up before easing herself back down with help from Mori as she felt a sharp jolt in her side, "Y-You can't do that. You've already helped me enough."

He shook his head. "Again, on the contrary, some of the changes that you've help me made saved me thousands to millions of yen, therefore, I'm repaying a debt to you," he reasoned.

"Thanks Kyoya," she sighed, and Mori dipped his head in thanks as well.

Tamaki caught a playful glance from Hikaru and Kaoru as they motioned towards Kazumi and Mori. Then he announced, "I think we should give Kazumi-senpai and Mori-senpai some time alone."

Honey giggled, "That's a good idea Tama-chan! Come on, Haruhi! Let's go try some commoner's cake in the hospital cafeteria!"

"Um… okay…" she agreed, a little confused.

"We wanna go too!" Hikaru and Kaoru exclaimed.

Mori's father laughed, a deep rumble in his throat. "Why not?" he agreed, "It's worth always trying something new. I've never had a taste for commoner's food, but there's no harm in trying."

"Commoner's food! Commoner's food! Commoner's food!" Hikaru, Kaoru and Tamaki cheered as they exited the room with Mori's father, Honey and Haruhi.

Kyoya walked over and gently kissed Kazumi on the forehead. "Rest well, Kazumi. We don't want you to pass out on your birthday," he said, "We'll be back before we leave."

"'Kay, have fun in the cafeteria," she teased.

"I guess they don't remember that we're at one of my family's hospitals so there _is_ no commoner's food, with several exceptions, such as classic favourites," he said before leaving.

Very gently, Mori brushed some black bangs from her forehead before leaning down and passionately kissing her. He nibbled on her lips, asking for entry, in which she obliged, granting him control of her mouth. She sighed as her head sank further into the pillow as their kiss deepened. Her arms wound around his neck as his tangled in her hair and snaked carefully around her waist.

"I love you," he rasped as he kissed up her jaw line, leaning down to continue kissing her as he climbed on top of her.

She pushed him back, looking deep into his eyes. "I love you too," she whispered, "I want you, Mori. I want you so much to be forever by my side."

He smiled, kissing her once more. "And so I shall as long as we both shall live."

"You're the only one I can ever give my heart to," she promised. _And that was the most cheesiest line ever,_ she thought in addition.

Takashi gently stroked her cheek with soft, smooth fingers. "And only _you_ will ever have my heart and love," he murmured back, gently kissing her bandaged neck, causing her to moan and arch into his touch. He nuzzled her neck, fully laying on her body now instead of kneeling over her.

"Shouldn't we save this for the bedroom?" she asked, panting slightly from their make-out session.

"Will you be able to come home with me tonight, my cute little Kazumi?" he teased.

She blinked at her, giving him a grim look as she noted his unlike-him flirtatious tone. "You didn't sleep last night, did you…" she guessed.

He shook his head. "So tired right now, but I was worried about you," he said, "You disappeared into the storm, wounded and broken, at night. After what happened a few nights ago, I never wanted you to go back into the night by yourself ever again."

Kazumi sighed, "I know, but it was either that or have your father try to deal with me permanently. In which I would have never seen you again."

Takashi kissed her gently on the lips. "You almost died, Kazumi. My father nearly killed you, because _I_ couldn't defend you. _Right_ after I promised you I would protect you," he whispered guiltily, his eyes drenched with nothing but guilt.

"Hey," she stated, catching his attention as she placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at her, "It's not your fault."

He kissed her again, pressing her down against the patient's bed. "You're so patient with me…" he sighed, laying his head down against her shoulder.

She smiled sincerely. "It's because I love you," she said, kissing the top of his head as he lay with her. She closed her eyes and quietly listened to their breathing as she felt his heart beat against hers.

They lay together like that for about 10 minutes before the others returned.

"Takashi?" Honey inquired, poking gently at his cousin.

He blinked open his eyes. "Huh? What is it, Mitsukuni?" he asked quietly as he climbed off Kazumi and sat on her bedside.

As his father walked in with the rest of the host club, he was a little surprised at the display. His son was lying on top of the woman he loved, their arms wrapped around each other. Maybe _that_ was true love between them, and a slight guilt tugged on his heartstrings as he realized he had tried to severe that connection by nearly killing his son's girlfriend. He knew he would soon realize the severity of the consequences of messing with the Haninozuka heir through his cousin's girlfriend.

"Did you fall asleep, Mori-senpai?" Haruhi asked, her eyes slightly wide in surprise.

He rubbed at his eyes. "I guess so," he answered, "Couldn't get any decent sleep last night. I was too worried about Kazumi."

The third-year yawned as she awoke from her name being said. "What now?" she queried, "Oh, you guys are back. How long has it been since you guys left?"

Kyoya looked at his watch. "About 10 minutes, if I'm correct," he responded.

"Wow… we must be tired," she noted, relaxing into her pillow.

"We wouldn't be surprised, after what you've been through," Hikaru began.

"And after all, Mori-senpai didn't get any sleep last night because he was worrying about you," Kaoru added.

Kazumi looked at the vice-president of the host club. "By the way, Kyoya, am I allowed to return home tonight? Or must I stay here?" she queried.

"Well… its best that you remain here so the doctors can continue to keep an eye on you in case anything should come up, however, you _can_ be released if you wish," he elaborated.

Mori placed a hand on her cheek. "It's best if you stay here," he told her, "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"So how are you feeling right now?" Tamaki implored, "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah," she answered, "at least, better than when I collapsed at Kyoya's door."

"That's good to hear," Kaoru said.

Haruhi smiled. "Now rest up well, you've got a big day tomorrow," she advised wisely, "You've got your birthday party and dance to attend."

The third-year sighed dramatically before chuckling. "Don't worry, I'll be better by tomorrow," she responded, looking at her boyfriend, "Can you leave the vial and needle on my bedside? I'll get a nurse to inject me before I sleep tonight."

He nodded, taking the two items from his pocket and placing them on the bedside table. Gently, he brushed away the black locks from her face and kissed her on the forehead. "We'll leave you alone to rest now. Take a good long rest, okay? I'll see you later," he said, letting his lips rest on hers for a moment before pulling away.

Kazumi closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

Hikaru and Kaoru at the same time planted a kiss on her cheeks. "See you tomorrow, senpai," they said cheerfully, relieved that the girl was going to be alright. Then they left, dialling for a car to be sent.

Haruhi gently hugged her senpai, whispering quietly, "It's good to know that you're alright."

"I can give you a ride back, Haruhi," Tamaki informed, kissing Kazumi on the forehead, "Sleep, well, beautiful princess." Then both he and Haruhi left.

Kyoya closed his notebook and ran his fingers down Kazumi's cheek. "You're a remarkable woman, Kazumi-senpai," he commented, "You've survived falling three storeys onto broken glass, you've survived being mobbed, you've dragged yourself through your parents' deaths, and you lived through a coma for a year. You really _are_ amazing, senpai."

She chuckled, blinking open chocolate eyes. "Thanks, Kyoya," she said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

He dipped his head. "Sleep well," he bid before leaving.

"Our turn!" Mitsukuni exclaimed, bounding over to her and kissing her on the cheek loudly, "See ya tomorrow, Kazu-chan!"

"Good night, Mitsukuni," she sighed, patting his gently on the head.

Mori gently nuzzled Kazumi's neck with his kisses before meeting her lips with his own, kissing her deeply. He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I love you," he mumbled.

"I love you too," she whispered, leaning up for one more kiss before slumping down against the bed, passed out completely.

Mori's father smiled gently at his son. "Takashi, come, it's time to go," he chided, "We'll take you home, Haninozuka-sama."

"Thank you!" the young-looking third-year exclaimed cheerfully, and they left, turning off the lights and closing the door after them, letting the young woman sleep.

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After dropping Mitsukuni home, Takashi and his father returned back to the Morinozuka estate.

"Father?" Mori suddenly asked.

The Morinozuka patriarch looked at him. "Yes son?"

"Is it okay if I-" he began.

His father chuckled, finishing his sentence. "go back to the hospital and stay with Kazumi for the night? Sure, as long as all your homework is done. I know how much she means to you."

Mori smiled. "Thanks father."

"Just pick up your things you need for tomorrow and bring it with you, and we'll see you both tomorrow evening. Your mother and Satoshi are planning something special for Kazumi-chan for her birthday," he explained, "I'll probably be joining in helping out tonight myself. Remember, it's a secret so don't tell her."

He nodded. "I know," he retorted as they arrived, getting out of the limo. Quickly, he went to his room and gathered up his books, as well as Kazumi's from the previous day. He picked up her choice of clothing and neatly folded it into her bag. He glanced at the ring sitting on his finger and smiled before going into his drawer and pulling out a rectangular box, tucking it away into his own schoolbag. Before he left he took a shower, changing into a dark T-shirt and a fresh set of the dark uniform pants.

_Okay, I've got my gift for her. My outfit for tomorrow is at the host club, as is everyone else's, _including _Kazumi's, and so I don't think there's anything else I need,_ he thought, heading out towards the waiting limo.

"Takashi?" his mother called.

He turned around and walked back up to his mother who just came to the door. "Yes, mother?"

She pulled an envelope from her female yukata sleeve and handed it to him. "Please give this to Kazumi-chan. It's a 'get-well-soon' card, as I heard they are somewhat common with commoners when someone gets hurt or sick," she explained, "There's also a gift card to a local café nearby the academy and her home. I wasn't sure whether she goes there a lot so I only put 8000 yen on the card."

A small smile tugged on the ends of Mori's mouth. "Thanks, mother. I'm sure she'll appreciate it a lot. We'll see you tomorrow."

She dipped her head, her dark eyes shining brightly. "Goodbye, son. Give her my best wishes." _I guess I'll tell him later that his father is going to be fighting the Haninozuka heir in two days time as a punishment for injuring Kazumi-chan,_ she thought, _Hmm… I guess I should check him in early to the hospital..._

Mori nodded as he entered the limo, the door closing after him. Kazumi would sure be getting a pleasant surprise when he arrived back at the hospital.

* * *

**If you're wondering people, this fanfic is far from over. As the summary says, 'through the seasons'. Guess what? It's only one season, in fact, it's only been about 3 days. hahaha. **

**PLEASE REVIEW and I'll update soon! :D**

**PS: yes, Mori's father will be getting punished for nearly killing Kazumi thanks to Mitsukuni. Apparently it's a better punishment than getting arrested and thrown in jail by Kyoya's private police force, 'the undertakers'. hahaha. it'll be mentioned later in further chapters. **

**Again, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. The Nightmares End Now

**Well... here's the next chapter. I suppose this is more like a filler chapter to fill stuff in. lol. **

**PLEASE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori**  
**Claimer: everything else (c) me  
**

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: The Nightmares Ends Now

When Takashi arrived, he gently knocked twice on the door. Soft enough to not disturb a sleeping person, but just loud enough to notify someone that was awake.

"Come in," he heard Kazumi call from the other side of the door.

He walked in, seeing his girlfriend sitting up while staring out the window and into the darkened sky and appearing stars. She turned to look at him, her eyes widening.

"Mori?!" she exclaimed, her heart rate jumping momentarily in surprise before she calmed down by taking a deep breath, "what are you doing here?"

He sat by her bedside, placing their schoolbags against the side table leg. "I came here to spend the night with you," he told her.

She sighed, smiling as she scratched at the bandages on her forehead. "Thanks Takashi, I appreciate it. It would be nice to have some company with me tonight," she said, "especially if the company is the man I love."

Mori entangled his fingers with hers, holding her hand tightly. "And I with the woman I love. How do you feel?"

"Very good, in fact," she informed, "dinner will be arriving soon, I assume. Um… there's a restaurant nearby if you want me to call over something to your taste."

He shook his head. "I'll take what you have."

"Better idea," she disagreed, "why don't you go to the cafeteria and buy yourself whatever you want? It's probably _much_ better than whatever they're planning on serving me."

"Do you want me to get something special for you?" he inquired.

She blinked, taking a moment to ponder the thought. "Hmmm… if you could get me a fruit salad, that would be great," she suggested, "I'm not sure what the Ootori family doctors are planning on serving me, but I assume that its better than what they serve at normal hospitals. I suppose the same goes for the cafeteria, as Kyoya _did_ mention earlier."

He stood up, heading towards the door. "For now, just wait. By the time I come back with my own dinner, yours will probably have come too. I'll be back soon."

Kazumi nodded as he left, staring back out into the dark sky. Bright stars lit up the blanket of night, and she closed her eyes, resting her head back against her pillow,

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door before it opened, and a nurse walked in carrying a tray of food. "Hello, Miss Shirozaki. I've brought your dinner."

"Thank you," she replied, turning to her, "Is it possible that I can be removed from the IV's and the heart rate monitor? I really think I won't need those anymore."

The nurse set the table dinner on the side table and carefully removed the IV's from her arm, patching it up with a small bandage she took from her nurses' apron. Then she turned off the heart rate monitor before removing the devices from her wrist. "Feeling better now?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"I hope you like dinner," the nurse said in a hopeful voice, setting the small table on her lap.

Kazumi chuckled, "In truth, I've never actually eaten a hospital dinner at an Ootori family hospital. I assume it's different than what they serve at normal hospitals, but… that's only me, I guess."

The nurse laughed. "Yeah, dinner here _is_ different than what they serve at regular hospitals. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'm quite excited to try it, and it smells delicious," she stated.

"I'll be nearby if you need anything," the nurse bid, "Enjoy!" Then she left. Moments later, Kazumi heard another knock and Takashi walked back in with a tray of food and sat down in a chair, setting his tray on top of the other bedside table.

"Hey, welcome back," she greeted.

"Hey," he responded, "I see you've received dinner."

She chuckled. "I could say the same for you," she replied as he handed her a bowl of fruit, "Thank you." She set it down and spooned up some creamy white soup with speckles of maroon and green. "Mmm… it's delicious. French onion," she said, raising an eyebrow at the soup, "though I _highly_ suspect that the doctors added some medicine to either help me sleep, regain my full strength, or both."

His hand fluttered to the bandages on her arm. "I really am sorry for what happened, Kazumi," he apologized suddenly.

Kazumi smiled. "Its okay, Takashi, there's no need for you to apologize. I'm alive and your father approves of us dating, well… I _think_ he does. I love you."

The kendo champion's fingers gently stroked her cheek worriedly, his eyes sparkling with returned feelings and she scolded softly, "Come on, Mori, stop worrying about me and eat something."

He sighed, "Alright."

The two third-years ate in silence, as something was disturbing Kazumi's peace of mind, giving her eyes a distant look. As a nurse came in later to take both trays away, Mori picked up his chair and set it next to the bed, taking out the envelope his mother gave him and handed it to her.

"Here, this is for you. It's from my mother," he informed, "It's a get-well card."

"Awww… that's sweet of her," she commented, "Give her my thanks." Carefully, she opened the sealed envelope and pulled out a beautiful sparkling flower card. She opened the card and read the remarkable wording on the inside and her chocolate eyes lit up in a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Hey… I know that café! It has the best cappuccinos there! Awww… thank you," she said, her voice brimming with happiness, "Now I can go there a little more frequently than I used to."

"Thank my mother," he corrected, "We'll be seeing her tomorrow night after the host club party, considering we've made it quite early."

She smiled, re-folding the card and setting both it and the gift card back into the envelope and setting it on the side table with their books. She leaned back against her pillow and sighed tiredly. "I've had a _long_ day. And so have you, so please, take a good long sleep."

"You too," he agreed, taking the adrenaline and syringe and injecting the final vial into her arm before turning off the lights and closing the blinds and the door, sitting back down on the chair and holding her hand in his.

"You sure you don't wanna share the bed?" she offered.

He shook his head. "You need to rest more than I do, so you need to be more comfortable," he protested. Then he looked down and quietly asked, "Kazumi… can you do me a favour?"

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

He held her hand in both of his and looked deeply into her eyes. "Tell me that you hate me and you won't forgive me until I go on my knees and beg you for your forgiveness," he whispered.

Kazumi sighed, "Mori, of course I'll never say that to you. Besides, its not your fault. Even if you had intervened, your father would have attacked me anyway, more likely killing me. So in truth, I should be thanking you. Technically, you saved my life. And why the hell are you still blaming yourself for what happened? As I said, its _not your fault_."

"How can you be so kind to me? I idly stood by and watched my father hurl you out a three storey window," he said, his eyes filled with guilt as he ran his fingers along her cheek.

She chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead. "It's because I love you, therefore, I can never hate you. Now… stop this foolishness and rest. You've had a long day too."

The guilt didn't disappear from his eyes and he leaned back down against the chair, her hand still tightly in his. "Night," he said in a guilty but loving voice.

"Good night, Takashi," she sighed, her eyes closing as she drifted easily into her slumber.

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_Mori ran desperately through the darkness, knowing in his heart something was wrong. All of a sudden, his surroundings changed, and he stopped in his tracks, looking around as he found himself in a strange field, the sky dark and littered with stars. _

_Suddenly, he saw Kazumi run toward him with a panicked look on her face. Then she pushed him down on the ground, her body on her hands and knees over him. He stared into her loving eyes for a moment before he heard her gasp, her eyes widening, and her body trembling. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard something impact._

_"I love you Takashi, don't forget that," she whispered before she collapsed against him, her eyes closing. _

_He sat up, pulling her up with him. "What do you mean?" he asked. Then he felt the shaft of the arrow buried deep into her back. "No!" he exclaimed, realizing that the woman was near dead, "Kazumi," he whispered, "Why did you have to protect me?"_

_Her eyes half-opened, fluttering weakly."I-I'm sorry," she breathed, her heartbeat weakening, "T-Takashi… do me a favour."_

_Tears slipped from his eyelids as he asked, "What is it?"_

_"Hold me close and watch the stars together one last time," she whispered, her breathing slowing. _

_He knew he could not deny her last wish, and held her tightly against him after breaking the arrow close to Kazumi's back, rocking her gently in his lap as they watched the stars. He held her hand in his, a firm grip on the cooling hand. He heard her sigh on last time and looked down at her only to see her eyes close forever, her hand going limp in his. _

_"Kazumi…" he whimpered as tears fell, clutching the dead woman against him, his face buried in her shoulder, his body shaking with sorrow. She looked so peaceful, as if she was only sleeping, but he knew the truth deep within; Kazumi was never going to wake up again. _

_Mori stood up, still holding her taut against his chest as he watched the sun rise in the horizon, giving the sky a tainted bloody hue mixed with orange and yellow. The tears kept falling as he looked back down at the corpse of his dearly beloved in his arms and pressed his cheek against her forehead, closing his eyes. _

_"I'm sorry, Kazumi," he choked, "I love you."_

_xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx_

Mori woke up to the sound of Kazumi calling him. She had turned on her side table light and looked at him with worried eyes.

"Takashi, why are you crying? And you were holding onto my hand so tightly," she said quietly, her eyes sad, "You had another nightmare, didn't you…"

He was suddenly aware of the salty drops of water streaking his cheeks. "A-A really sad dream, actually. W-What's going on?" he breathed.

Her finger's brushed away his tears and pulled him towards her. "Sleep with me, Mori. I don't want you to have bad dreams."

He laid beside her, and she captured his lips in hers. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he sighed, "I'm sorry if I hurt your hand. What time is it?"

"10 minutes till midnight," she answered, "we slept at nine, remember?" A moment of silence past before she asked, "Do you… want to talk about it?"

"I'm scared to lose you," he admitted, his arms wrapping around her.

"You won't," she promised quietly. She drew him down to her and pulled his head against her shoulder, her fingers tangled in his black spiky hair. Her other hand rested on his back and his were around her back and on her other side, his eyes closed. Gently, she kissed him on the forehead and turned off the light before hugging him close, her hand finding his. "Sleep well…" she trailed off.

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The next morning, Kazumi gently stirred awake to the bright light that was shining through the blinds. She looked over at the time and saw it was almost time to head to school. She smiled as she noticed that Mori was still fast asleep against her, his arms now loosely hanging around her neck as his fingers trailed through her hair.

"Kazumi…" he moaned in his sleep, nuzzling against her shoulder, "I love you."

She chuckled softly. _He must be having a good dream about me,_ she thought, a little humoured at the thought. She ran her hand up and down his back, slowly easing him awake.

He yawned as he opened his eyes, looking up at his girlfriend.

"Good morning," she greeted with a warm smile.

"Morning," he replied, leaning up to kiss her, "Happy birthday."

She grinned. "Thank you," she said, "Now wake up, we've got a big day today."

He climbed off her, and rubbed his hair, messing it further. "Hmmm… I'll give you your present at the host club with the others."

"Thanks, Mori, but you didn't have to get me anything," she said, "your love is enough for me."

He smiled. "I wouldn't be a good boyfriend if I didn't get anything for my girlfriend's birthday," he retorted as he leaned down and kissed her passionately, "I love you."

"As I love you," she responded, swinging her legs out of bed and standing up carefully. He was right next to her in case she fell, but she didn't, "Now, you stay here and get dressed while I go get cleaned up."

Mori handed her the white blouse and black pants. "Here, you wanted me to bring these, right?"

She nodded. "Thank you," she said, leaving the room and closing the door after her.

_Hmmm…_ he thought, grabbing out his own uniform blouse, tie and jacket from his bag. Pulling off his T-shirt, he put on his blouse, buttoning up and putting on the rest of the uniform.

10 minutes later, Kazumi returned, dressed up in her long white blouse and black slacks. The bandages around her forehead were gone, and her skin smelled fresh of lilac and lavender, her hair freshly washed and still a little wet. Her new bandages were just about the colour of her skin, blending in well.

"Hey," Takashi greeted, standing up from sitting on the chair, "Welcome back. What took you?"

"Oh… I ended up taking a quick shower. Thought it would be nice if I washed away the scent of blood and temporary death," she responded, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

He shook his head. "Not at all," he answered, walking over and slightly tinkering with her diamond pendant necklace. He took a mental note that it was the necklace that was sealed in with the letter from her parents; their last letter to her. "This was their birthday gift to you, wasn't it?" he said quietly.

The young woman looked down at the ground, her eyes dimming and glistening with pain. "Yes," she choked, "It was."

He lifted her chin, his other hand brushing her cheek. Slowly, he inched forward and the two kissed leisurely, her hands settling on his muscled chest. "Now, don't start being depressed, today's your birthday. It should be a happy day for you," he told her, holding her close against him, her cheek against his shoulder. He was very cautious about his hand on her back, feeling the bandages through her shirt. Guilt crept into his mind as he suddenly remembered that he had helped harm her in the first place, and he mentally blocked it, knowing he didn't want to make her suffer on her special day.

She sniffed, pulling back. "You're right," she agreed, a small smile on her face, "Now, let's head over to Ouran before we're late. Don't want to get scolded for being late today of all days, right?"

He chuckled, picking up their schoolbags. "Let's go you checked out before heading out. Leave anything?"

_Hmmm… I put Takashi's mother's card in my bag, and I was only wearing that yukata that night his father threw me out,_ she thought, _The rest of my stuff is either at Takashi's or my apartment. Okay… that should be it, from what I know._ "That should be it. I never had anything with me when I was thrown out. I left my cell in my bag," she answered.

Quickly, the two third-years double checked the room before checking out at the front desk, a car waiting for them outside.

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When they arrived, they realized they were right on time and walked to their classroom, casually talking. Once they got to Class 3-A, several boys walked up to her with wrapped boxes in their hands. Some boxes were small and square, and others were larger and rectangular.

"Happy birthday, Kazumi-san!" they chimed, presenting her with their gifts.

"Thanks you guys. You really shouldn't have. I'm surprised you all still remember my birthday after me being gone for a year," she replied, accepting them with a beautiful smile on her face, "It's very kind of you."

"Please open them," they said in union.

She laughed, the sound like chimes, "Let's go to my desk, these are a little heavy for me to hold all at once."

The group went over to her desk and she sat down, setting them all on the floor, picking up one and setting it on the table, opening it carefully. She pulled out a beautiful crystalline figurine of a water lily.

"It's beautiful," she said, looking at the guy who had given it to her, gratitude sparkling in her eyes, "Thank you very much, Chiko." She pulled him down by his arm and kissed him on the cheek, causing the boy to blush.

She repeated the steps with every gift she received. Finally, when the boys were done, her friends Akane and Fumiko came up to her, bearing a single gift. It was a golden good luck charm, a dragon and phoenix on the front, with words on the back. The words were "Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile."

"Awww… thanks Akane, thanks Fumiko. I love it, it's amazing," Kazumi whispered, hugging both her friends at the same time.

"Happy birthday, Kazumi-chan," they said in union.

"So… have you received a gift from Takashi yet?" Akane pried, raising her eyebrows curiously.

She shook her head. "He told me to meet him at the host club after school and before the dance," she replied, glancing over at the kendo champion and winking over at him, in which he smiled back at her softly.

"Ooh!" Fumiko squealed, "Do you think he's gonna ask you out?"

"Or even give you a ring and propose?!" Akane fantasised.

Kazumi laughed, shaking her head at their dramatic and over-the-top fantasies. "I don't think its gonna be anything _that_ serious. He understands me quite well and helps me when it comes to calculations and other concepts that I don't know. It's probably going to be just something simple like chocolate or something like the other guys gave me," she disagreed.

"I really think he's into you though," Fumiko stated, "yeah, he and a lot of the other guys in our class."

"Lucky," Akane added, pretending to pout.

"You may be surprised at how many guys from our class like the both of you too, same goes for the other classes," Kazumi argued, "Plus, it's not _a lot_ of the other guys in our class, it's only a few. Not to mention most of the boys that like me in our class like you guys too, just wait till _your_ birthdays and you'll see what I mean."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAZU-CHAN!" Mitsukuni yelled as he ran into the classroom, throwing his arms around her waist and spinning round and round, making her dizzy. Then he let go, making her spin faster.

Before she could fall from her dizziness, Mori swept underneath her and caught her in his arms, pressing her tightly against his chest.

"Just close your eyes and breathe deep," he told her, "it'll pass in a few moments." Then he looked at his cousin. "Mitsukuni," he said sternly.

"Sorry Kazumi-chan," the childlike third-year apologized immediately, thought he had realized that wasn't what Mori actually meant, "Maybe I might have spun you a _little_ too much."

_What an understatement,_ a lot of people in the room thought.

"A-Ah…" she breathed as she sat against Mori, "I-It's okay. I-I'll be fine. Give me a moment." Her hand was at her forehead, pressing lightly on her temples, trying to ease out of dizziness.

"Are you okay, Kazumi-chan?" Akane inquired as both her and Fumiko bending down to look her directly in the eyes.

In truth, her head still spun. When she looked at her friends she saw there were 8 people in front of her. _Four_ Akanes and _four_ Fumikos. "W-When did you guys multiply?" she asked, her eyes totally unfocused. Shakily, she stood up, her hand on her desk as she sat down with some help, before she buried her face in her arms as she laid them down on the table, closing her eyes.

"You must have really spun her hard, Haninozuka-san," Fumiko commented.

"Sorry Kazu-chan," Honey apologized again.

She laughed, leaning back on her chair as she regained her focus. "It's okay, Honey, I can see you're excited about tonight's party," she said, resting her chin on her palm as she put her elbow on the desk, "Personally, I'm a little excited myself." _Hmmm… today's going to be interesting…_ she thought.

Their teacher walked into the room, giving a nod of question to Kazumi and she nodded back, standing up and walking with him out of the classroom and closing the door.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Fumiko wondered out loud.

"I have a feeling it must be serious," Akane suggested.

Suddenly, Haikou-sensei walked back into the room with Kazumi trailing behind, her eyes downcast, a small smile frozen on her face and her hand at the diamond pendant around her neck. She sat down at her desk as Haikou-sensei started the class.

_I wonder what that was all about,_ Honey thought as he sat as his desk, swinging his legs playfully under the desk.

Then he and the others noticed she slipped an envelope from her pocket and into her school bag, making them a little concerned.

_I hope she wasn't expelled or anything,_ Akane hoped.

Fumiko thought a little more on the bright side. _Hmm… maybe it's just an acceptance to another school she applied to,_ she wondered.

Mori stared worriedly at the girl as she took notes from what Haikou-sensei was explaining. _What's going on?_

* * *

**Well... I wonder... maybe Kazumi was expelled from Ouran Academy... maybe it's an acceptance letter to another university?! Does that mean that she and Mori will have to split up?! Or else have a long/short-distance relationship?!**

**PLEASE REVIEW and you'll find out! *wink* (Thanks to all of the other reviewers who are so good at what they do! :D)**


	14. Gift of Friendship

**Well... tis' been a while since I've updated, so here's the next chapter. Sadly, my updates have caught up my chapters. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it. I'm just saying that my updates were becoming faster than how many chapters I have written up. **

**ANYWAY, this is a COMPLETE FILLER CHAPTER, but the only reason is because lots of dramatic and chaotic things happen in the next chapter. **

**PLEASE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Gift of Friendship

After class ended, Kazumi sighed and rose from her chair, stretching out her legs and arms, looking at her gifts with concern. _Hmmm… I'm never going to be able to carry all those and my schoolbag at the same time… Most of those gifts are delicate and I don't want them to break. The guys took their time and money to buy me those… _she thought grimly, suddenly catching a large cloth bag Akane tossed her before looking at her friend.

"I thought you'd be needing this today, knowing how many guys are into you," she informed, giving her a grin.

Kazumi laughed, carefully putting each present into the bag. She tried to lift it but failed. _Huh?_ She thought, _When did it get so heavy? _She tried even harder, and failed once again. "Okay, one more time," she swore, lifting it with all her might, and it easily lifted off the floor. She blinked open her eyes, looking up at Mori who was holding it. "Ah," she said, understanding.

"I'll carry it for you," he insisted.

"Thanks," she laughed, "and for a moment I thought I was strong enough to carry it after all."

He chuckled, "I just don't want you to strain yourself. Now… let's head over to the host club."

"Okay," she said, smiling cheerfully at Akane and Fumiko, "I'll see you guys at the dance later, right?"

They nodded.

"By the way, what did Haikou-sensei want to talk to you about before class started?" Fumiko questioned.

"Well… it turns out the Chairman was outside the door waiting to give me a scholarship to Ouran University," she answered, "Surprising huh? Turns out it was because one; he felt sorry for me for being gone for a whole year, and two; he looked at my previous report cards for my marks."

"What a relief. We thought you were going to be expelled or something from Ouran," Fumiko admitted, "at least, I know that's what Akane was thinking."

"Thanks, Akane…" Kazumi said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Hey, I did not! Anyway, cool! So we'll see you in Ouran University?!" Akane exclaimed.

She nodded, laughing. "I'll see you guys at the dance, 'kay?"

"See you then!" the two shouted.

"Let's go!" Honey cheered.

The trio headed off to the third music room, Mori assisting his girlfriend in carrying her bag of presents, knowing she'll receive a few more from the host club.

When she opened the door, the lights were suddenly switched on as the rest of the host club shouted, "Surprise! Happy birthday Kazumi-senpai!"

She laughed lightly, "Thanks guys."

Haruhi handed her present to her, the gift wrapped in nice pink flowery wrapping paper. "Here, senpai, this is for you. I hope you like it."

"Aw, thanks Haruhi, you guys didn't have to get me anything," she replied, "But I really appreciate it." She opened the present and found a cookbook and she gasped, "Thanks Haruhi! Now I can try out a whole bunch of new recipes! Ahhh… I love cooking, it's a wonderful hobby."

The brown-haired host giggled, "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. I like cooking too, maybe we could get together sometime and make something together."

"I think that would be awesome," she agreed, "Maybe we could get together this weekend and make something."

Tamaki looked at them with huge puppy eyes. "Can we come?!" he begged.

"Why not?" Kazumi answered, "The more the merrier."

Hikaru and Kaoru smirked, walking over and giving her a kiss on her cheeks, handing her a key. "Here," they said in perfect unison, "It's a key to your new wardrobe."

"We've got it transferred to the Morinozuka estate, cause Mori-senpai suggested it rather than bringing it to the host club," Kaoru informed.

Hikaru smirked, "All of the clothes are our mother's latest designs, and they should fit you perfectly. We hope you like them."

Both brothers grinned mischievously at her. "And we hope you'll wear them often," Kaoru added.

She blinked, surprised."Y-You guys didn't have to get me a wardrobe of clothes. Thank you so much," she said, throwing an arm around each of them, hugging them to her, "I wear them every time I have the opportunity."

"Oh, and the dress you're wearing for the dance this afternoon is also provided by us, but Mori-senpai helped design and choose it," Hikaru mentioned.

Kazumi raised an amused eyebrow at her boyfriend. "_You_ helped design my dress?" she noted.

He nodded. "Though to put the credit where it's deserved, Hikaru and Kaoru's mother outdid herself with this one," he replied.

"Thanks boys," she said happily, giving the twins a kiss on their foreheads.

Slipping the cookbook into her schoolbag while placing the key in her pocket, Kyoya walked over to her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before pressing a card into her hand.

"What's this?" she asked in curiosity.

"A year pass to one of my family's relaxation spas," he answered coolly, "I expect that after everything you've been through, you could use some relaxation. If your body eases up from tension, then you'll recover a lot better from your wounds. In addition, keeping up with the host club and Tamaki and the twins' antics, I think relaxation would do you some good. Each visit you can bring one other person in with you."

"Thanks Kyoya! I'm sure a day at the spa will loosen up some tense muscles," Kazumi exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled. "I think you've deserved it."

Honey walked over and threw his small arms around her waist, crushing Usa-chan in between them. "Happy birthday, Kazu-chan!" he exclaimed happily, before running and grabbing two boxes and handing it to her, "It's cake and chocolate!" Then he grabbed a stuffed blue kitten and gave it to her. "And this is also for you too!"

"Thanks, Mitsukuni," she said, bending down and giving the 18-year-old a kiss on the cheek.

She set the cake, chocolate and kitten down with the other gifts from the boys in her class, sighing happily. Tamaki smiled, tucking a orange lily in her hair, kissing her on the forehead before handing her a gift card shyly.

"What's this?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… I heard you share Mori-senpai's love of books, so I got you a gift card to the biggest bookstore in Tokyo," he replied, "To tell you the truth, I didn't know what to get you initially."

"Aka," the twins began, "he forgot to get you a present completely when we mentioned it a few days ago."

"Hey!" he scolded them, "I already had something in mind!"

Kazumi laughed, "Thanks, Tamaki." She kissed him on the forehead and slipped the card into her pocket next to Kyoya's year pass. "There are a lot of books that I've had in mind."

Mori looked at her. "And you didn't tell me, why? You know I would have gotten them for you," he said.

"This is why I didn't tell you, because I don't want you to spend your money on me," she reasoned, "though I know you mean well, you know that I would feel guilty afterwards."

He kissed her on the top of her head. "I love you. It's okay," he insisted, "It's my family's money that I can spend, and I want to spend it on you."

"Awww…" Honey sighed, "That's so cute."

"Now it's my turn to give you a present," Takashi said, grabbing a rectangular box and handing it to her as he stood directly in front of her, looking down into her eyes as she accepted the box from him.

She opened it, revealing a beautiful golden wings, connected by a beautiful diamond at the bottom, hanging underneath. It was hanging from a dazzling silver chain, and she looked up at Mori and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her.

"I love it!" she exclaimed, "Thank you so much!"

He chuckled, "It's no problem. I'm glad you like it."

Passionately, she kissed him, his arms wrapping around her waist as he drew her close to him.

Kyoya looked at his watch. "Not to interrupt, but the dance starts in 45 minutes. We'd all better get dressed. Kazumi-senpai, Haruhi, you know where you can get changed. Your outfits are already there waiting for you."

Kazumi pulled her lips away from Mori's, smiling at the vice-president. "Thanks, Kyoya." Then she took the rectangular jewellery box with her as she and Haruhi went off to the makeshift change room.

"You go first," Kazumi insisted, "I'll help you with fixing anything after you finish changing."

The first-year nodded. "Thanks, senpai."

Minutes later, the girl-yet-host walked out, straightening the tie on the brown suit.

"Awww… you look so cute," Kazumi teased, ruffling her hair slightly, "It looks really good."

Haruhi laughed, "Thanks, Kazumi-senpai. I saw the dress set out in there. It's really pretty, I'm sure it'll look great on you."

She grinned, exchanging places with her in the dressing room. She looked at the beautiful peach dress. "Hmm…" she mumbled in thought, "Hikaru and Kaoru's mother really outdid herself on this one. Surprised that Takashi helped design this though, it's beautiful." She changed into the dress, spreading the dress with her hands to rid herself of the tiny wrinkles. She looked at herself in the large mirror, a smile on her face.

The peach-coloured dress had spaghetti straps, the fabric fitting snugly against her body, outlining her slender curves. Satin ribbons were sown around the waist, and up the chest area, a large pink bow in the middle. The dress reached just above her ankles, a slit in the side of the dress from her mid-thigh. Complex embroidered patterns were woven into the lower dress, and she slipped on the matching bands on her left wrist, tucking her watch into her pants pocket which she folded up neatly with her blouse. Her hand ran gently over the camouflage bandages on her other arm, and she nodded in content, taking a brush and running the bristles through her long hair, spreading it around her shoulders. She changed her shoes into the peachy pink dress shoes provided. Now she understood why Tamaki chose an orange lily for her hair, because it would match her dress. She saw the makeup kit they placed with her name on it, and she raised an eyebrow, opening it. The only thing she really decided to use was a bit of water-resistant red lipstick. She smacked her lips together to evenly spread out the coat, then looked herself in the mirror, checking herself over.

_Ah… that's what I forgot,_ she thought, removing the diamond pendant and taking out Mori's gift, taking the golden necklace out of the box and exchanging it with her diamond pendant, tying the silver chain around her neck. _Perfect,_ she thought in satisfaction.

Suddenly, she heard a group of footsteps coming into the room with the makeshift changing room.

"Wow, you look great, Haru-chan!" Honey exclaimed happily.

"Thanks, Honey-senpai," she replied.

"Where's Kazumi-senpai?" Kyoya inquired, "Is she still changing?"

"Oi!" Hikaru and Kaoru called, "Come on out, Kazumi-senpai! We know you're in there!"

She stepped out, a cool blush charming her cheeks as she looked down in embarrassment as she could tell all eyes were on her. "H-How do I look?" she asked shyly, looking down.

"YOU'RE SO CUTE, ONEE-CHAN!" Tamaki squealed.

"Exquisite," Kyoya chimed in, giving her a genuine smile.

"Beautiful!" Hikaru, Kaoru and Honey squeaked.

Haruhi smiled. "You look awesome Senpai."

Mori walked over to her, hugging her against him. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he complimented quietly, only meant for her ears.

She blushed. "Thanks," she replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Apparently he didn't find it satisfying enough, so he pulled her lips to his for a moment before she pulled away, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't I have a dance I have to go to? And don't _you_ guys have a dance to _host_?" she reminded teasingly.

"She's right you know," Kyoya agreed with a meek smile directed towards the rest of the host club members.

Kazumi giggled, reaching up to kiss her boyfriend once more. "I'll see you on the dance floor," she said, joyfully walking out of the third music room as she went to the ballroom.

"Well… shall we?" Kyoya asked, motioning to the door. _Hmm… wouldn't it be fun if something interesting happened that _didn't_ go according to plan? _He thought.

"Why, of course!" Tamaki exclaimed, "We have our precious guests to attend to."

"And we have the _other thing_ we have to drag Kazu-chan to later too!" Mitsukuni reminded, pumping a little fist into the air, "So let's go!"

* * *

**Well, hope you've liked this chapter. Kazumi has some great friends, doesn't she?**

**Can't wait for the next chapter, drama, decisions, and DOOMMMMM! ahaha, probably not the last one, but here's a 'sneak preview' of the next chapter, "Things Don't Go According to Plan". **

Chiko's hand slipped under her chin and lifted her face to look at him, inching closer to her. "Forgive me, I know you don't feel the same way, but please allow me this one pleasure," he whispered before pressing his lips against Kazumi's, closing his eyes.

...

Tears continued to fall as she looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Takashi," she cried, hugging against him, "I love you so much! Tell me that you hate me, that you never want to see me again."

...

"Princess Kairia Mizazowa," Mori called, and the woman squealed happily as everyone else clapped, Kairia advancing up the stairs next to the host club member. He moved to kiss her cheek but she suddenly turned and ended up kissing him on the lips, pulling him closer against her.

"Ooh!" many of the girls squealed in the crowd, though Kazumi narrowed her eyes and glared at the redhead kissing her boyfriend.

...

**OMG, yes, drama. Ahh... I love it. bwahaha. I'll update that awesome chapter as soon as I can, aka, once I finish it. lol.  
**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	15. Things Don't Go According to Plan

**The interesting chapter is here. I hope you guys like it! I've gotta say, it's more dramatic next chapter. **

**PLEASE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Things Don't Go According to Plan

"The Ouran Host Club would like to welcome you to this special dance," Tamaki announced, "So… welcome." He bowed at the same time as spotlights lit up, revealing the Ouran Host Club members as they all bowed in union in the dark hallway.

The live orchestra began to play quietly in the background as the various chandeliers lit up, all the ladies below the staircase clapping loudly.

"And as a special treat for tonight, 7 of you lucky ladies may win a kiss from one of our hosts. Each host will rate each of your dancing skills, and at the end of the night, each will choose the best dancer and give the lucky lady a kiss anywhere on her face," Kyoya announced.

The girls squealed dreamily and Kazumi plugged her ears. _Man, these girls are so energetic, _she thought, _It's a wonder how the club can keep up with them._

"Good luck to you all, my darlings," Tamaki said in a dreamy voice, giving them a wink and gesturing to them with his hand.

They squealed even louder and Kazumi shook her head, still plugging her ears with her fingers. She sneakily walked to near the back of the crowd, where she ran into Akane and Fumiko.

"Hey Akane, hey Fumiko, you guys look great," she greeted.

"Thanks. You look great yourself," Akane retorted, smiling.

Fumiko looked into the swooning crowd of girls. "It's a wonder if any of the girls at our school are 'normal', other than ourselves, of course. Practically every girl in our high school is here," she stated.

Kazumi sighed, "I guess they wouldn't be popular if they didn't show. I kinda feel sorry for all the guys _not_ in the host club. They don't have very many girls swooning over them, these seven get all the glory of that. You can see the rest of the boys here are slightly glaring at them."

"So much they could practically brag about it," Akane agreed, crossing her arms and scoffing.

"But, as gentlemen, they don't," Fumiko said with a wink.

Kazumi smiled at her two friends. "So, Akane, are you going to dance with Tamaki? And are you going to dance with both of the twins?"

They blushed and looked at each other before grinning, turning back to Kazumi. "And are you going to dance with Mori?" they guessed in union.

She shrugged easily. "Don't know."

"Aka, that would be," Akane began.

"A yes." Fumiko finished.

She smiled as the ball began, the boys dancing with several partners and the rest of the girls watching on the sideline. Kazumi watched Mori as he danced with some of the girls, chuckling as their faces went pink while dancing with the stoic host club member. She stepped outside onto the balcony, the wind playing with her hair. She heard footsteps and turned around to see her classmate Chiko walk up to her, a blush on his face.

"U-Um… h-hi," he stammered nervously.

Kazumi giggled, "Hello, Chiko. Enjoying the dance?"

He nodded, his cheeks turning even redder. "Y-You look beautiful," he commented, "W-would you like to dance with me?"

"Thank you, and sure," she replied, taking his hand as he escorted her back into the hall into the middle of the dance floor, his hand on her waist as his hand cradled hers.

Kazumi took notice that his eyes looked sad. "Chiko, is something wrong?" she asked.

He stopped waltzing, pulling her against him. "Kazumi, I owe you an apology. I should have tried to stop Akira before he tried to kill Morinozuka-san. But I couldn't, and I'm sorry. Because I didn't stop him, you were hurt instead, and I never wanted you to get hurt," he whispered to her, "I think I might be in love with you, Kazumi. Will you accept my feelings?"

She pulled away and gave him a small smile. "You don't need to apologize, Chiko, what happened to me wasn't your fault. It was Akira's fault I was thrown into a coma for a year. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in you in the same way, but I'm flattered," she replied, bowing slightly in apology.

His hand slipped under her chin and lifted her face to look at him, inching closer to her. "Forgive me, I know you don't feel the same way, but please allow me this one pleasure," he whispered before pressing his lips against hers, closing his eyes.

Kazumi's own eyes widened as she gently kissed back for his sake, a guilty feeling crawling against her heart as stinging tears filled her fluttering eyes. Her arms remained by her side as his own wrapped around her waist. She suddenly pulled away abruptly, tears flying from her eyes. Her hands flew to cover her lips, and she ran out to the balcony, running down the stairs and away. Chiko ran after her to the balcony, calling her name. Immediately Mori noticed this and bowed to the lady he was dancing with, excusing himself from the dance as he went after her.

"What happened?" he asked Chiko.

"I-I think I somehow unintentionally insulted her," he admitted.

Mori's dark eyes hardened. "I'll be back," he announced, running down the stairs after her. He found her sitting on a stone bench under a blossoming cherry blossom tree far from the ballroom, the beautiful pink flowers falling from the tree in the wind and landing around her. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked down, her hands clenched in one another tightly and shakily, sniffing. The light from the sunset illuminated her slim form, and cast a long shadow upon the green ground.

"Kazumi?" he said quietly.

"J-Just leave me alone," she choked, her tears falling harder.

He sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her. "What's wrong, Kazumi?" he asked, "D-Did he do something to you? Chiko, I mean."

She nodded. "But it's because I did it back that I ran," she sobbed, "H-H-He kissed me! In guilt I made myself kiss him back!" Her hands clutched onto his shirt tightly. "I'm so sorry, Takashi! I'm so sorry! I-I feel so guilty! I-I just, I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!"

Takashi only smiled at her. "Kazumi, it's okay. After all, _he_ kissed _you_, not the other way around. Plus, if you ran away crying, it's obvious you feel guilty about it," he explained quietly, tilting her chin up to look at him, "Kazumi, as long as you still love me, that's all that matters."

Tears continued to fall as she looked deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Takashi," she cried, hugging against him, "I love you so much! Tell me that you hate me, that you never want to see me again."

_Hmmm… haven't I heard this somewhere before from someone else? Who was it now?_ He thought as he shook his head. _Oh yeah… it was me…_ "I could never hate you, Kazumi. You mean the whole world to me. You're my life now, and always," he told her, tilting her head up and kissing her deeply, brushing away her tears with his thumbs. "Now, don't cry. It's your birthday, after all. You're supposed to be enjoying yourself with your friends, not crying by yourself."

"I'm not by myself," she replied, wiping away the last of her tears, "I'm with you."

He smiled, kissing her once more. "I love you too," he whispered, taking her hand and pulling her up with him as they stood up together under the cherry blossoms, "Now come on, let's go back to the dance before we're missed."

She nodded silently, allowing him to drag her back to the ballroom.

"Kazumi," he said as they now found themselves in the middle of the dance hall, "dance with me."

"I-I don't know, Mori," she hesitated.

He shook his head. "Nonsense," he replied, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him as he took her hand in his as her other rested on his arm. "You _are_ my girlfriend after all," he whispered, lowering his face down to hers as she moved her hand to rest on his shoulder.

"Uh huh," she agreed bluntly, the pair doing elegant twists and turns, "Oh, and when you choose someone to kiss, choose someone else other than me. It'll only make me feel even more guiltier than I already am."

"Well, don't feel that way," Mori said, "But if you insist, I will choose someone else, and give a kiss on the cheek."

As the song eventually came to an end, she curtsied as he bowed, before she walked away. Before Mori chose another partner, he walked over to talk to Kyoya, making Kazumi a little suspicious.

_I wonder what they're talking about,_ she thought, _more or less, I wonder what _Kyoya_ is _planning. _Something evil, no doubt about it. I wonder what it could be… Well… I'm going to find out sooner or later, that's for sure._

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Finally, when the ball was coming to a close, yet the sun had only _just_ gone down half an hour ago, the host club regrouped on the stairs. Kazumi had danced with every single host club member, and she knew in her heart that something was going to happen.

"I hope you've all enjoyed the dance this wonderful late afternoon," Tamaki announced.

"Now one by one each host club member will announce _their_ princess of the night," Kyoya declared, "First, Mori-senpai."

The tall, stoic host club member stepped forward, looking down into the crowd. Kazumi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

_Good luck, Kazumi,_ Akane and Fumiko thought.

"Princess Kairia Mizazowa," he called, and the woman squealed happily as everyone else clapped, Kairia advancing up the stairs next to the host club member. He moved to kiss her cheek but she suddenly turned and ended up kissing him on the lips, pulling him closer against her.

"Ooh!" many of the girls squealed in the crowd, though Kazumi narrowed her eyes and glared at the redhead kissing her boyfriend.

_That better have not been what Kyoya and Mori was planning in the first place, or else I. Will. Kill. Them,_ she thought before sighing, _But then again, I will gladly take this as payback for my kissing Chiko, considering Kairia kissed Mori. I'll let this go… for now…_

Too long for Kazumi's comfort, Mori eventually pulled away from the third-year student and bowed as she stood proudly next to him. His eyes met Kazumi's, giving her an apologetic look, but she only forced a smile gently, her own eyes reflecting a little sadness.

"My turn!" Honey shouted happily, and announced his princess of the night.

Kazumi felt happy for Fumiko, who got a loving kiss on the cheek from Kaoru, and she watched as Kyoya stepped forward, calling out, "Princess Kazumi Shirozaki."

_Damn it, __well… it's not that I don't like Kyoya, but…_ she thought, _Mori put him up to this, didn't he. Either that or they're conspiring against me. Ha, yeah right. _She put on a smile for the sake of herself and the Kyoya-fan girls in the crowd, knowing they already hated her enough for being chosen.

"Hello there, Senpai," he greeted in a teasing voice as she approached him.

She forced a smile, raising an eyebrow at him. "Hello, Kyoya," she responded, "You called me here to kiss me, if I'm correct?"

The glare of his glasses hid his eyes. "And of that, you would be correct," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist as his other arm went around her shoulder.

With one graceful turn, he dipped her, his face directly over hers, their eyes meeting before he gently captured her lips in his, kissing her deeply. Kyoya's eyes were closed, and Kazumi's closed slowly as she felt humour and a little desire within the depths of his kiss. His kiss seemed passionate and he swept her back up, keeping his lips glued to hers. Then he pulled away, smiling at her as they heard loud squeals from below. He bowed to her as she curtsied before standing next to him.

"You and Mori planned that, didn't you," she accused quietly.

He leaned a little towards her. "Of course," he responded, "though I added the dip myself. Makes things a little interesting, your reaction, I mean."

"I knew things seemed a little too suspicious," she breathed in reply, "Is this what you may call as 'an unexpected turn of events'?"

He gave her an evil grin. "Why of course, though it was partially to be expected," he said, "Considering after all, it _is_ I we are talking about."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, the almighty shady shadow king, aka, vice-president Kyoya of the host club," she muttered. _Hmm… I feel a little guilty about kissing Kyoya now too, _she thought, _However, he kissed me, and Kairia kissed Mori. I-I feel a little faint, but that may be after thinking too much… Man I need a break. _

"Something wrong, senpai?" he asked quietly, noticing her tired look.

"Any way we can hurry this up, I'm feeling a little faint," she whispered back, breathing deep to steady herself, "This birthday's been pretty stressful so far, but I'm grateful to you and the others for throwing me this party, even though it may have also helped your profits too."

His arm wrapped gently around her waist to steady her as she swayed slightly. "It's no problem," he replied, "Don't worry, I'll handle it. Are you able to wait until Tamaki and Haruhi finish choose their princesses of the night?"

She dipped her head. "I can last," she sighed, "It's only a small dizzy spell, right? It'll past, sooner or later anyway." She clapped her hands cheerfully as Tamaki chose Akane as his princess, giving her a passionate kiss on the cheek.

_I honestly don't know how a kiss on the cheek can be passionate, _Kazumi thought, _But I guess since it's Tamaki, I guess no matter what kiss he gives would count as passionate, I suppose._

As for Haruhi, she chose a random girl she knew danced really well with her, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"We all thank you for joining us this late evening, and we hope you have a safe trip home," Kyoya announced, "Thank you all!"

The entire host club bowed, chiming in union, "And good night!" Then they bowed to their guest and retired up the stairs, Kyoya holding securely onto Kazumi's waist as she came with him.

"Hey Kazumi! Where are you going?!" Akane shouted up at her.

Kyoya decided to intervene. "She was feeling a little dizzy so I'm taking her to take some medicine. Afterwards we're taking her to you-know-what at you-know-where," he called.

"Ah, okay, see you!" Fumiko laughed, waving as they continued to leave, "Don't torture her with it guys. She's delicate."

"Don't worry, we won't torture her," the shadow king assured, giving them a evil grin, "much…"

Kazumi cringed in worry. _What the hell does he mean by torture me? _She thought, _I'm in trouble, aren't I… I'm doomed…_

* * *

**Well... I hope you've liked this chapter. Things were a little hectic, but turned out... okay? in the end? not really at the moment.... anyway, hope you liked it anyway!**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! **

**I'll update the next chapter when I can! :D **


	16. Things Never DO Go to Plan, Do They…

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it! **

**ANYWAY... new chapter, new excitement, new info, and etc.**

**PLEASE R&R!!!!!!!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) **

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Things Never DO Go to Plan, Do They…

As they walked back to the third music room to grab their stuff and change, Kazumi looked down at the ground as she silently walked behind the rest of them, stopping and looking out the large window, staring up into the dark sky littered with stars.

Mori stopped and looked back at her, noticing her eyes were sad and distant. He felt a pang of guilt in his heart, somehow feeling that he was the cause of her pain. "Kazumi?" he said quietly.

The girl didn't answer, continuing to stare up into the sky. It didn't seem that it was like she was ignoring him, it was more like she _couldn't_ hear him, like she was in some sort of strange trance. The other guys (and Haruhi) had already stopped and turned around, watching the two of them.

Takashi hesitated to approach her, as she looked so delicate and fragile, like she was an 8 million yen Renaissance vase ready to be shattered by a certain she-host. He quietly walked towards her, reaching out to her, but then nervously snatched his hand back for a moment.

_I-I don't know why, _he pondered, _but… I'm scared to touch her. It's like she's in another world; a world of her own. Should I disturb her? Her heart is fragile, so is it a good idea? I'm scared she's gonna break, and that I won't be able to pick up the pieces and put her back together again._ He shook his head, snapping himself out of his trance, _such musings are pointless, I have to try._

"Kazumi," he said a little more sternly, placing a hand on her shoulder, unintentionally startling her, "Are you alright?"

"A-Ah," she breathed, a little shaken up, "Takashi."

He directed a short glance at the others and they understood immediately, hurriedly walking away, leaving the two alone.

"Are you okay, Kazumi?" the taller student asked, "Tell me the truth. Are you upset about Kairia kissing me?"

She averted her eyes from his, contemplating what she should say. "I-I just…" she choked out, "I'll admit I was a little upset, until Kyoya kissed me of course, making me feel even guiltier from kissing Chiko. It hasn't even _been_ a few hours and I've been kissed by three different guys; you, Chiko, and Kyoya. It's just… giving me this throbbing in my head." She looked up towards the moon, holding onto her elbows. "And my parents, I miss them, you know? So much has happened in the past few days, and I just… feel like I can't handle this anymore."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he queried, hoping he could ease her nerves.

"Yeah, can you do me a favour and distract me now somehow, okay?" She sighed, "Just… ramble about something unimportant or something until I can let it all go from my mind."

He pulled her towards him, gently pressing his lips against hers as he led her away from the window, pressing her back against a wall as he passionately made-out with her, his hands buried in her hair. Tears streamed from her eyes as her knees broke, collapsing against the wall, sobbing uncontrollably now.

Mori stepped back in surprise, bending down and kissing her mouth before pulling her against him. "Shhh… it's okay, I'm here for you," he whispered, stroking her back gently.

"M-Mori," she whispered in a choking voice, looking at him as she wiped away her tears, "Come on, let's get changed and get out of here. The one thing I'll need is a good night's rest."

He chuckled, "I'm afraid you're not going to be let off the hook that easily. Satoshi and my parents have something big planned for you."

She sighed, "Do you think I would be able to pull off being ill?"

He shook his head. "Now now, Satoshi and my mother took a lot of time to plan this. They've spent the last few days doing it," he reasoned, sweeping her up into his arms, "Now, our clothes are over at somewhere else."

"What?" she exclaimed, "Our uniforms are back in the music room."

_Okay, think fast,_ he told himself mentally. "Um… Akane and Fumiko stole them," he lied.

Kazumi gave him a knowing look. "You're making that up," she accused.

Suddenly, Haruhi ran over to them, seemingly out of breath and already changed back into her school uniform. "Guys! Guys! A-Akane-senpai and Fumiko-senpai stole your clothes!" she panted.

"What?!" Kazumi exclaimed, "You've got to be kidding me. Why would they do that? Ugh… do you know where they are? Or at least where they're going with them?"

Takashi gave her a small smile. "I do. Now let's go. The limousines are outside waiting for us," he said, "Haruhi, let Mitsukuni know to put our things in the car and such."

She nodded. "We'll meet you guys there!" she replied before running off.

Kazumi glanced at her boyfriend suspiciously. "Something tells me you and the rest of the host club, as well as Akane and Fumiko are involved with this scheme too…" she claimed, leaning against him, "But I won't interrogate you about it, because I have a feeling I'm about to find out what this is all about."

Momentarily he adjusted her weight in his arms before carrying her towards the main exit. "Kazumi, I apologize if I upset you," he said, "I've never meant to hurt you."

"I never meant to hurt you either," she replied, "I'm sorry."

He stopped, looking at her. "No, it's me who should be sorry. I should have just chose Kairia like that without your consent. More or less, I should apologize for her actions too, considering she kissed me."

She shook her head. "If that's the case, then I should apologize for Kyoya's actions as well, considering _he_ kissed _me_," she challenged.

"So we're even?" he implored.

"I still kissed Chiko," she replied, "Therefore you still have one free kiss."

He shrugged easily. "Okay, I know just who to spend it on," he hinted, leaning down and giving her a passionate kiss, lifting her a little higher to gain better access to her mouth as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He lowered her body back down against his chest and held her close. "I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you again," he promised, "I love you so much."

She closed her eyes tiredly, sighing, "I love you too, but don't make promises you might not be able to keep. I'm a magnet for trouble, remember?" She allowed her body to relax and ease up in his arms, and he smiled, continuing to carry her off to the limo waiting out front.

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As she rested beside him, they were driven to a huge rented mansion, with a water fountain at the front. As they arrived at the base of the stairs to the door, Mori gently shook Kazumi.

"Hey, we're here," he stated.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Where are we?"

As the door opened he offered her his hand. "Well, let's find out together, shall we?"

The third-year female giggled, taking his outstretched hand as they stepped out of the limo together, looking up at the mansion. The rest of the host club was already waiting at the top of the steps, the boys dressed in fancy black tuxedos and suits, while Haruhi wore a pretty pink dress with several flowers stitched into it.

"Happy birthday, Miss Shirozaki," they chimed in union.

"Awww, thanks guys," she replied, "you guys look great."

"Your own outfits are upstairs in the dressing room," Kyoya informed, writing something on his black clipboard, "I'll explain the fashion of which you enter upstairs after you've finished changing, Kazumi-senpai. Mori-senpai, you already know your role, correct?"

He nodded as he and his girlfriend ascended up the stairs, Kyoya escorting them up through the double-doors and into the grand hall, leading them up the stairs and to a smaller hallway, in which they entered through a small set of double-doors into a dressing room.

Suddenly, several maids whisked Kazumi into the other room.

"Your dress is in here, miss," one of them said, dragging her into the other room and closing the doors, "We'll be back in a few minutes."

Kyoya and Mori both chuckled.

"Hikaru and Kaoru's maids are really energetic, aren't they," Kyoya stated.

Mori nodded, walking over to where his tuxedo hung, beginning to unbutton his blouse.

"I'll wait outside," Kyoya told, "I've got to quickly check out something with the lighting. I'll be back."

He nodded, watching the younger student walk out. He changed into his tuxedo, straightening his jacket in front of the mirror, adjusting the red bow.

_Hmmm… pretty good,_ he thought in satisfaction, _I wonder what Kazumi's wearing._ _However, I won't find out until we actually descend the ballroom steps together. Well… she'll look beautiful in whatever she wears, that I know for sure._

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About 15 minutes later of endless waiting and thinking, a light rap on the door caught Mori's immediate attention.

"Come in," he called, and Kyoya stepped back in.

"My apologizes for taking so long," he apologized, "But we're ready now. I've just instructed Kazumi-senpai where to go and descend and you know you'll be going down the opposite steps before meeting together in the middle and descending the final steps. Remember, you two have the first dance, so you just need to lead her to the middle of the dance floor, and the music will start on cue."

"Thank you, Kyoya," he replied, following him out the dressing room and to the far end of the corridor, standing and waiting at the top of the opposite side (right) steps.

The younger student gave him a nod and he began to slowly advance down the stairs, hearing the hired orchestra begin to play soothing classical music. The ballroom was huge, with large white pillars standing in two rows on the sides, as well as open balconies on each side all neatly aligned.

Once Takashi reached the bottom of the steps where that and the left side steps met, he looked up to see Kazumi dressed in a beautiful white dress. The strapless dress hugged her curves and flowed down to her ankles like an elegant skirt, a V-shaped criss-cross neck tie connected to the bow hanging on the front of the dress, the white tie perfectly hugging against the back and front of her neck. Her hair was ironed into waves that flowed around her shoulders and down her back, a single white rose tucked into her hair. The necklace he had given her hung around her neck, hanging in between the X-shaped criss-cross ribbon straps. Two silver bands were on each wrist, the custom host club ring still on her finger. The maids had given her a little makeup on her face, but made it very natural, so it didn't seem too much like she _did_ put on makeup after all. Her one-inch white heels clicked as she descended down the stairs, her slender fingers holding onto her skirt so she didn't trip, even though she knew that Mori would catch her somehow.

She curtsied to him respectfully as he bowed, turning forward to look at the crowd of people below.

"Presenting Master Takashi Morinozuka and his beautiful girlfriend, Miss Kazumi Shirozaki," Tamaki announced from the base of the steps with what was left of the host club and people clapped in greeting, "We'd all like to wish you a happy birthday, Kazumi."

Offering his arm out to her, Mori and Kazumi swiftly descended down the wide red-carpeted staircase, and walked to the middle of the ballroom, turning to face each other as he placed his hand on her waist, his other hand taking hers as her hand rested on his taller shoulder. Slowly they began to waltz to the music, elegantly spinning and turning while lost in each other's eyes.

Tamaki nudged Haruhi beside him and bowed to her. "May I have this dance, Haruhi?" he requested formally.

She giggled, taking his outstretched hand as he led her onto the dance floor with the star couple. "Of course, Tamaki-senpai." Others began to join them until the floor was filled with couples dancing.

Suddenly, Mori felt a tap on his shoulder, and saw another young man standing there.

"Do you mind if I snatch her away for a dance?" he asked politely.

Mori nodded, turning back to Kazumi. "You'll be able to find me if you need me."

She smiled. "It's not like I'm going to be going anywhere," she teased as she took the other young man's hand.

As the night progressed on, Kazumi had danced with tons of the guys who had come to her birthday ball, and she had even run into Akane and Fumiko, who openly admitted that they knew about the whole surprise dance from the start because Mori's mother had referred to them for several choices and options.

Eventually, Kazumi was swept away to dance with the one person she was still hesitant and nervous around… Mori's father Akira Morinozuka (name final – referenced from chapter 72).

"It seems you're quite popular with the boys here tonight, Miss Shirozaki," he stated, raising a suspicious eyebrow, "You better have not taken a fancy to any of them other than my son."

She chuckled in amusement. "Of course not," she replied, "I love Takashi and nothing can change that." She took a mental note as she saw his mouth twitch into a small frown before forcing himself to smile again.

"Well, I guess it's time for you to move on now," he said finally, gracefully spinning her into the arms of another man.

Her face went red in embarrassment as she initially stumbled into him. "O-Oh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized quickly, looking up into startling forest green eyes.

"It's okay," he replied, "I've been waiting to get a chance to dance with you, Miss Shirozaki."

"M-My apologies," she said, "I've been dancing with a lot of different men tonight. It's nice to see some new faces."

He chuckled in agreement. "You can call me Keiji," he introduced, "and well, you need no introduction. Do you mind if we step outside to get some fresh air? Don't worry, I won't try to steal you, Morinozuka would probably kill me to get you back."

She laughed, "No worries. Fresh air is something I'd love to get right now. It's steaming hot in here." She allowed him to escort her to one of the outside balconies after telling Mori, in which Kenji proceeded to lead her down the stairs and next to the shallow pool where several Koi fish swam under the moonlight and stars. But before he joined her he went to get two glasses of sparkling punch, in which he added a pinch of strange white powder to one of the glasses secretly from his sleeve while he stood alone on the balcony watching the girl look at the fishes.

Keiji looked around suspiciously before going down and standing next to Kazumi as she kneeled down and watched the fish.

"They're so cute with their long tails, don't you think?" she inquired, taking the glass he offered to her, "Thanks."

Back inside, Mori had noticed the brown-haired boy escort his girlfriend out to the balconies, and began to head towards that direction as he now felt something was wrong, running into Kyoya who was leaning against one of the huge white pillars, scribbling something on his clipboard.

"Ah, Mori-senpai," he acknowledged, "the party's going great, don't you think?"

"Yes, it's going rather well," Mori replied, "How's security holding up?"

The second-year looked at him. "My private team is surrounding the entire area, so no one should be able to get in or out without permission," he answered, "Why? Is there a problem?"

The older student shook his head. "Thanks for the help." _I don't think I need to trouble them at the moment,_ he thought.

Kyoya dipped his head in return and Mori continued heading for the faraway balcony, slipping in between and around people. Initially he thought that the boy Kenji was harmless, but now… something in his heart told him he wasn't so sure anymore.

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Meanwhile, Keiji took Kazumi's hand and she stood up, looking at him.

"Yes, Keiji?" she asked curiously.

He led her to the way deeper pool next to the shallow pond, where the light of the moon was easily reflected off the water's rippling surface.

"Under the light of the moon," he began, raising his glass, "I'd like to wish cheers for your happy 18th birthday."

"Thank you," she replied, clinking glasses with him, "to a happy birthday."

Both drank from their glasses, draining them.

"Hmmm… in my opinion no punch can beat the delicious flavour of berry punch," she commented, her eyes beginning to flutter as the drug began to take its quick effects. "W-What's happening?" she breathed, "E-Everything's going so fuzzy. What did you _do_ to me?" The empty glass fell from her hand and shattered against the stone floor, her hands clutching at her neck as she struggled to breathe.

He grabbed her and pulled her close to him, his green eyes looking evil as he stared into her dazed chocolate ones. "Don't worry, the drug will only ease your passing a little better," he whispered, "It's amazing just by how little I used the huge effect it has on you, especially in low temperatures. And of course, if the water doesn't kill you, the drug will." Then he violently push her into the pool with a loud splash.

As her body contacted the cold water, her limbs felt numb, and as water entered her lungs, she felt herself lose consciousness, the last thing in her vision being the white rose from her hair floating to the surface and the light of the moon and stars.

_Mori… I'm so sorry…_ was her last thought before darkness overtook her, her body limply drifting towards the bottom of the deep pool.

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Mori had heard the splash as he neared, as had others nearby, including Honey and the twins. Immediately he ran till he reached the balcony, seeing Kenji stand there alone, a glass in his hand, while fragments of another glass lay shattered on the ground. Then he saw the familiar white rose pop from the water next to the young man, immediately recognizing it.

"No!" he hissed, leaping from the top of the balcony and ran towards where Kenji stood, "Where is she?!"

After seeing the Morinozuka heir beginning to make his way towards him furiously, Kenji booked into a run, trying to flee from the angry kendo champion.

"Takashi!" Honey yelled, "I'll go after him! He won't get far with me and Kyo-chan's private police force people! You find Kazu-chan!" The young child amazingly leaped and sped after the perhaps-murderer.

Mori's instincts told him she was in the pool judged from the white rose, and he quickly removed his tuxedo coat and bowtie, knowing they would only slow him down. Gracefully he dived into the deep water, subconsciously shivering at the coolness of it and swam deeper, the light illuminated by the moon fading the deeper he dived. Now he had no choice but to rely solely on his sense of feel in order to find her.

All that he hoped now… was that he wasn't too late…

* * *

**Ooh... 'will he save her in time? Will they get a cure for the drug before it's too late? Find out in the next exciting chapter of A Love For All Seasons.'**

**WOW... that was SOOO sounding like something you'd hear on tv. **

**Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -cries- I'M DESPERATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (kinda... -ishhhh...) hahaha. lol.  
I'm not THAT desperate. But please just let me know how you like it so far!**


	17. A Matter of Life and Death

**Well... its been a while since I've updated, so... here's the next chapter!**

**I hope you like it!**

**Happy Thanksgiving people! **

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: A Matter of Life and Death

_Hold on, Kazumi,_ Takashi thought desperately as he felt around the cold water for any signs of his lost girlfriend, _I'm coming for you wherever you are._

His hands desperately groped for a sign, knowing he was running out of air, when suddenly, he felt floating hair and swam closer, feeling Kazumi's cold body in front of him. He pulled her against him, beginning to swim up with her.

_Hang on, we're almost there,_ he thought as he saw the light of the moon, as well as the reflections of people gathered around the pool.

With a huge gasp, he burst through the surface of the water, coughing as he hauled Kazumi's limp body ashore, climbing out dripping wet himself.

"Mori-senpai!" Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoya and Tamaki exclaimed.

Mori wasn't paying attention as he pressed his ear against Kazumi's chest, hearing the very faint beating of her heart. He noticed she wasn't breathing and positioned his hands over her chest, pumping down.

"Come on, Kazumi, breathe," he begged before squeezing her nose and breathing into her mouth before repeating the process. _She looks so beautiful, so peaceful,_ he thought, _but she can't leave me, not yet. I still need her, so damn it Kazumi, open your eyes!_

As he continued to pump down her chest, two coughs escaped her, water streaming from her mouth before her body stopped moving completely.

Mori was really scared now and pressed his ear once more to her chest, this time not hearing anything. "No!" he whispered urgently, pushing down on her chest, "Come on, Kazumi! Don't die! Please! Y-You can't leave me! Damn it Kazumi you can't leave!"

Tears began to spring from his eyes as he leaned over her body, repeatedly smashing his fist into the ground in frustration, furious at himself for letting her die. He gathered her body in his arms, sobbing against her shoulder as her head lolled limply towards him, her beautiful chocolate orbs closed.

"S-She can't be," Tamaki whispered.

"Kazumi-senpai can't die…" Kaoru choked as Hikaru hugged him, tears already falling.

Kyoya sighed depressingly, trying not to cry. _So it's true that you can be lucky enough to escape Death's clutches only so many times,_ he thought, _and Kazumi-senpai's luck just ran out…_

The courtyard was suddenly filled with sniffles, tears, and hugging.

"Kazumi, I'm so sorry," Takashi breathed, "I promised you I would protect you. But I couldn't… I never can, can I. Please, just wake up, you can't leave me… I love you so much."

This was exactly like one of his nightmares coming true. He wasn't able to protect her, and because of that, he had lost her. Her life had been forfeit, and there wasn't anything he could do. He buried his face in the side of her neck, desperately wishing there was some way for her to wake up. But a dead person couldn't come back to life, could they? "Damn it Kazumi, open your eyes!" he cried.

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_Where am I?_ _Am I dead? My head hurts…Ugh… so cold…_

Kazumi could feel something wet against her neck, and a shaking body against hers, strong familiar hands wrapped around her. Her eyes weakly fluttered as her eyes barely opened into tiny slits, her pupils trying to adjust to the light.

"M-Mori," she rasped weakly into his ear, causing the young man to look back at her, tears continuing to fill his eyes.

"Kazumi!" he gasped, "You're alive!" He hugged her tightly against his chest. "I thought I lost you," he whispered. His breaths were shaky and raspy as he fought for self-control.

"Senpai, you're alive!" Tamaki chimed, making all the others rejoice in relief.

She gave him a small smile. "I told you I wasn't going anywhere… didn't I?" she joked quietly, "Did… you catch him?"

"Keiji?" he replied, "Mitsukuni is going after him right now."

She did her best to nod, but found she couldn't really well. "T-The punch… he put some sort of… drug in it… made me dizzy… still dizzy now…" she whispered.

"It's okay, just rest," he advised, "I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise. I'm sorry for not being able to protect you."

She smiled. "You can't… protect me… all the time… you know…" she breathed, "and I'm sorry… for not being… more careful… I should've… at least… been a little… suspicious."

He hugged her cold wet body tightly against his soaked white shirt, tucking her head under his chin, one hand on the back of her head while the other on her back, pressing her against him.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he mumbled, "I love you."

"Love… you too," she replied, "Sorry for… making you worry… like this…"

He looked at her worriedly. "W-What are you saying?" he asked, "What do you mean 'like this'?"

"Drugged… remember?" she whispered, letting her eyes slip close, "T-There's…some sort… of poison in it… too…. H-He told me…"

"Kyoya?" Mori began.

"Already on his way," the vice-president replied, referring to a doctor, "Dr. Hitsumori will be arriving shortly."

He dipped his head. "Thanks," he replied.

They all turned to see Mitsukuni Haninozuka carry a bruised and battered Keiji all tied up with rope, dropping him hard in front of them. The tiny 18-year-old clapped his hands together, brushing away the dust.

"Hurting my friends is a big no-no!" he exclaimed cutely, waggling his finger at the near-murderer.

Mori set Kazumi against Kyoya as he stood up, dripping wet yet angrily glaring at Keiji. Kyoya held onto Kazumi's wet body tightly, taking a mental note about how cold she was. Akane and Fumiko ran over to them, handing Kyoya some dry warm towels, which proceeded to be wrapped around the third-year's trembling body.

"Who _are_ you?" Mori hissed in bitter rage.

"Keiji Harukuja," he spat, "I was hired to kill the princess of this party, Kazumi Shirozaki."

Mori grabbed him by the lapels. "Who sent you?" he demanded.

He sneered evilly. "I'm not allowed to tell you," he replied, "I gave my employer my word. But I _will_ tell you this… the enemy is closer than you think."

Kazumi coughed softly, her face scrunching into a little pain, and Mori looked back at her before glaring back at the man.

"If Kazumi dies, I swear you I will punish you _myself_," Takashi threatened in a low voice, "Believe me, you'll never leave the hospital, maybe instead get put into a grave."

"Takashi, we've got to hurry," Honey said as Kazumi's hand fluttered uneasily to her chest, her breaths becoming uneven.

The kendo student released the man's lapels, allowing him to be retaken by Kyoya's police force.

"We'll take him in for interrogation," one of the officers informed Mori, who gave them a nod before they took him away.

Mori kneeled next to his girlfriend, taking her from Kyoya's arms and holding her close against him.

"Just hold on, Kazumi," he whispered to her, "I'll get you help soon."

Her head lolled gently as she looked up at him. "Mori…" she breathed, "Takashi… I love you…"

As he sat with her in between his bended and not-bended legs, his arms wrapped around her and his cheek pressed against the side of her head above her ear. "I love you too," he replied, rocking her back and forth gently, "I love you too… Hold on, okay? Just stay with me…"

Her eyes fluttered closed and moaned softly against his neck, her breaths weakening.

"Here, Mori-senpai," Haruhi offered, draping a warm towel around his shoulders.

"Thanks Haruhi," he replied as he felt Mitsukuni help dry his hair with another warm towel, at the same time messing it up, "Thanks Mitsukuni."

His hand slipped into hers and held it tightly, his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close.

"You're important to me, Kazumi Shirozaki," he murmured, "so you can't leave me just yet. Not for a long time."

Her eyes just barely opened. "Ugh…" she groaned quietly, "Mori? Can I sleep right now? I-I… feel it… calling to me."

"No, don't sleep yet. I still want to talk to you, okay?" he replied calmly. _Don't listen to Death calling to you in the form of sleep, _he added silently, _okay Kazumi? _

"Just listen to my voice, okay?" he asked.

She tried for a chuckle and succeeded. "Can you stop… making your voice… sound so desperate?" she breathed, "You… make it sound like… I'm about to die…"

He gently bit his tongue, resisting telling her the scary yet entirely possible truth. He looked down at her and saw the sorrowful truth in her chocolate eyes. She may not really make it through the night.

"So… what do you… want to talk… about?" she sighed, slowly blinking her eyes as she let her head fall against his neck and shoulder.

He pursed his lips together as he thought. "Um… you still taking those piano lessons?" he asked.

"I was in a coma… for a year, remember?" she reminded, glancing up at him briefly, "I'm sure Tamaki could help… Mori… really… I just… want to sleep…"

Takashi shook her gently, trying to keep her awake. "No, no, just stay awake with me a little longer. Until Dr. Hitsumori arrives," he said desperately, feeling that her pulse was quickly weakening, her heart beating slower.

Her eyes closed slowly. "It's…just… a quick… nap…" she trailed off, head falling completely limp now, and he shook her, getting no response in return.

"Damn it, Kazumi," he swore, "don't die on me!"

Moments later, loud footsteps could be heard as Dr. Hitsumori ran over. "Outta the way, people!" he exclaimed, kneeling down next to the couple as he pressed the chest piece of the stethoscope against her chest, listening to her heartbeat and breathing.

Her eyes fluttered half-open and gave the Ootori doctor a small smile. "Hey Doc... I've been… seeing you for… the last few days…" she breathed, "people enjoy… trying to kill me… don't they…"

The doctor forced a cracked chuckle as he took out a vial of synthetic and a needle, inserting the contents into her arm. Almost instantaneously she fell unconscious.

"That should keep the poison from spreading any faster. From what Mr. Ootori has told me and my own observations, this isn't too severe. Is it okay if I treat her at the Morinozuka estate or somewhere? The hospital won't do any good for her," he requested.

Takashi dipped his head, lifting his dying girlfriend up in his arms, quickly making his way towards the gates around front.

"Should we follow and go with them?" Hikaru asked uneasily.

"Mori-senpai will need the support," Kaoru agreed.

Kyoya glanced at the guests. "But the problem is leaving without dealing with _them_." He replied, "What I suggest is that several of us go with them while the others assist in reassuring and dispersing the party guests before meeting up with the others later at the Morinozuka estate."

"Good idea, Kyo-chan!" Honey agreed, "I'll go with Takashi!"

Haruhi looked concerned. "If it'll help them, I'll stay here and help."

"Me too," Tamaki agreed, "but in truth I'd rather go be there and support Kazumi-senpai."

Kyoya began to follow after Mori's little party of people. "I'll go with Mori-senpai back to the estate and contact you if we need your support," he announced, "good luck."

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When Mori, Honey, Kyoya, Kazumi and Dr. Hitsumori arrived back at the Morinozuka estate with Mori's parents and brother, Mori lifted Kazumi's limp body in his arms and carried her in, the maids taking her from him to change her clothes and dry her hair so she could get treated.

"I hope Kazu-chan's going to be okay," Honey said quietly.

The maid popped her head through the door crack and addressed, "Master Morinozuka, do you want to bring her in?"

Takashi dipped his head. "Of course," he replied, walking to the other room, where he carried back his unconscious girlfriend dressed in a plain blue night shift, laying her on their large soft bed, pulling the thick covers over her to her ribs before holding her hand tightly in his. He sat down in a chair next to the bed as Dr. Hitsumori took her pulse.

The doctor's eyes glittered with sadness. "Time is running out," he said, "we've got to hurry."

"Is there anything we can do to help her?" Mori asked worriedly.

Kyoya cleared his throat. "From the samples that were retrieved by my… people… there's a vaccine on the way, so just hang on until it arrives," he explained.

"U-Uh…" Kazumi moaned as her back began to arch, pain radiating from her body. She violently snapped up, coughing up blood before flopping back down against the bed limply.

"Kazumi!" Mori shouted as Kenji Hitsumori dabbed at her lips with a wet cloth, wiping away the blood.

"This is bad," the doctor announced, "it seems this drug is killing her faster than I thought. We don't have much time. Kyoya, how long will it take until the antidote arrives?"

"Approximately less than 5 minutes," the vice-president replied.

"We might not have that much time," Dr. Hitsumori growled, gritting his teeth, brushing black bangs away from Kazumi's forehead.

Tears welled up in Honey's eyes. "B-But… what can we do? We can't let Kazu-chan die."

Gently Mori held her hand tighter. "You can't die on me, Kazumi. Not now, not ever."

Hesitantly, Kenji pulled out a vial of clear onyx liquid, staring at it with hard eyes. "This serum might help her, but I'm worried the side-effects it might cause. Plus, I'm not even sure it'll work for her."

"We don't have much to lose," Kyoya said, "If the serum doesn't work, then we'll just have to hope that my doctors get here in time. If they do, I might think about giving them a raise, if not… most likely they won't be seen again in _any_ of my family's hospitals."

_Aka, they're fired,_ Mori thought as he turned to the doctor.

"It doesn't look like she's well enough to drink it on her own…" Dr. Hitsumori said, handing the vile to Mori, "Would you do the honours?"

The stoic host club member nodded, drinking the contents of the vile into his mouth before pressing it tightly against hers, forcing the serum down her throat down to the last drop. _Please Kazumi, just live, just for me,_ he thought desperately, _Please Kazumi._

The doctor took her pulse once more, feeling the strengthened beat. "Well… it seems she stabilizing again, but she'll last until the antidote arrives," he said, "Someone must really want her dead."

"We have our suspicions," Kyoya informed, "but the incident is still being investigated."

"I have some suspicions of whom it may be," Mori said, "but I'm unsure as to why."

"If you're talking about Mr. Akira Morinozuka," Kyoya began, "I'm afraid that possibility is more than likely. There is also that former student who tried to kill you, Mori-senpai."

Honey blinked dark honey eyes. "You mean the one who put Kazu-chan in her coma?"

The vice president nodded. "Yes, Akira Korinokoji." He elaborated, "Disappointingly enough, he was released from prison just last month. Pleaded for insanity in court and was granted 11 months on psychiatric therapy in a jail cell."

"Taka-bro was never really happy about the length of the sentence," Satoshi mentioned as he walked into the room, "but at least he was kicked out of Ouran Academy."

"But Takashi was never satisfied with that punishment altogether," Mitsukuni added.

The Kendo champion grimaced. "And I'm still not satisfied with that sentence."

Ever so slowly, Kazumi's eyes half-opened, glancing over at her worried friends who seemed to be talking to each other.

"W-Where am I?" she murmured, gently moving her fingers and feeling Mori's warm familiar hand, "Mori?"

He brushed away the bangs clinging against her forehead and gave her a soft kiss.

"Don't worry, I'm here." He assured, "You're back at the Morinozuka Estate, and Dr. Hitsumori has been taking good care of you."

She gave a small smile. "It's nice to know you all care for me guys. But… maybe it's best for all of us that I just die," she said in a raspy, choked voice.

Mori's hand tightened around hers. "Kazumi, don't speak like that, okay? I for one need you here with me," he hissed.

"Why do you say that, Kazu-chan?" Honey inquired curiously.

She tilted her head slightly to look at her friends.

"This is like about the 3rd or 4th time I've been so close to death," she explained, "People seem to enjoy trying to kill me or something. A girl only has so many lucky chances to escape the clutches of death. I don't like seeing you guys worrying about me, and seeing Mori in such pain is agonizing for me. It's like… I just want it all to be over, you know? I want to stop hurting others when I get hurt. Maybe I'm being a little rash and selfish when I'm saying this but… it's not like I'm not grateful to you guys for worrying about me and stuff but…"

She trailed off when she saw the stern look Takashi was giving her, and Satoshi recognized his brother's look.

"Um… let's give them a little privacy," the younger Morinozuka hinted, and they began to leave the room, "We'll alert you when the antidote arrives."

With that being said, Satoshi closed the door behind him, leaving the young couple alone.

"That look worries me," Kazumi couldn't help but comment, "what are you thinking, Takashi?"

Without a word he moved to sit at her bedside, continuing to move closer and closer to her.

Gently, he stroked her cheek, asking in a hushed tone, "Kazumi, do you love me?"

Blinking, she replied without hesitation, "Yes."

He proceeded to give her one of his more good-natured, natural smiles.

"Good," he grunted, leaning down closer so his face was just above hers, "and you're not being at-all selfish, Kazumi. That's sweet of you, but don't ever think like that again. Don't ever think about a life where it's me living without you in my life."

She sighed knowingly and tiredly. "In other words…" she began.

He smiled, whispering, "I love you."

Moments later his mouth was upon hers and she sunk into his kiss as he melted into hers. She felt there was an edge of desperation to his kiss, as if he feared it was the last time they were going to kiss. His lips moved down to caress her neck with butterfly kisses when she felt a cold wetness dripping on her neck. Gently pulling him back to look at him, she saw his cheeks were streaked with small tears as he wept silently.

"I-I don't want to lose you," he choked, wrapping his arms around her as he buried his face in her hair.

She pulled him down so the side of his head pressed against her chest, a hand entangled in his hair while the other rested on his back. As they lay together in silence, he quietly listened to the slow beating of her heart and somewhat laboured breathing.

"Mori, I love you," she told him, "I always have. No person's hatred will keep our love apart, okay?"

Wiping away his tears he kissed her on the forehead and sat back on her bedside, his hand holding onto hers tightly.

"And I love you," he responded quietly as there was a knock on the door.

Both turned to see Kyoya, Honey, Satoshi, Dr. Hitsumori, Mrs. Morinozuka and two doctors walk in with a silver briefcase.

Mori sighed with a bit of relief. "Good, the antidote's here," he muttered to Kazumi quietly.

His eyes were pained as he could see that she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Breathing seemed to be difficult for her, as did moving. Every little twitch seemed to hurt her. Mori now felt guilt crawl into his heart. Had she been concealing her pain when they had kissed? When she held him against her?

"Yeah… speaking hurts too…" she sighed while looking at Mori, reading his emotions, "but I can stand it, I suppose."

He gave her a gentle smile. "It'll be all over soon, I promise," he reassured. _And I'll find the lowlife responsible for this and make sure he pays for what he's done,_ he added silently.

She smiled back at him just as gently as the doctors' injected liquid into both of her arms and one carefully in the side of her neck.

"Now all Miss Kazumi needs is a good night's sleep," a doctor instructed.

"Thanks doctor," Kyoya said,

Kazumi's eyes fluttered open every time they were about to close, looking up at her boyfriend who sat worriedly over her. "T-Takashi?" she murmured, "Sleep?"

He nodded, leaning down to give her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be here soon," he promised, pulling the bed sheets securely over her shoulders and tucked under her chin as she closed her eyes.

With a calm breath, she was almost instantly asleep. Quietly the others crept out of the room, turning off most of the lights and closing the door behind them.

"She'll be fine, it seems," Satoshi sighed. "Kazumi has been through a _lot_ in the past few days."

Honey's eyes dimmed. "But its sad that this all happened on Kazu-chan's birthday. She _should_ be enjoying herself with her friends and those she loves, not lying in bed recovering from being nearly killed…again." He added depressingly.

"We'll find the people responsible," Kyoya guaranteed. "My private police force is already investigating as we speak. I believe they will try to get as much information as they can from Mr. Keiji Harukuja. I'll inform you as soon as possible when I receive further details from them later."

"Thank you," Mori breathed quietly.

His mother gazed at him worriedly. "Son, are you alright? You still seem a little shaken. Is something else bothering you?" she inquired.

The Kendo champion shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. Then he looked at the doctors. "Thank you, all of you. Kazumi is alive because of all your hard work."

Honey looked at him. "Takashi, you can go back inside to Kazumi. We'll finish up here."

Dipping his head, he bid a quick farewell before re-entering the bedroom. Quickly going into the bathroom to change, he returned, crawling into the bed beside his girlfriend and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her warm body against him. Burying his face in her soft hair, he could feel her strong heartbeat against his own. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I'll update soon!**

**Have a great Thanksgiving!**

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	18. A New Job

**Well... its been a while since I've updated for this story, so here it is! I hope you like it!**

**Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: A New Job

"Mmm…" Takashi moaned gently as he shuffled back to turn off the alarm. Looking back, he noticed that Kazumi was gone, and in her place, sat a folded note card and a single red rose.

Yawning tiredly, he reached over and picked it up as he sat up, stretching out his neck.

Glancing at what she had written inside, he smiled. The note read:

--

"Dear Takashi,

First of all, don't panic that I'm not there waking up with you. I've left for a bit of early training and I have an interview I've got to attend. I'll see you at school!

Love,

~Kazumi

PS: I hope you like the rose! Lots of love!"

--

"Hmm… an interview, huh…" he muttered with a smile, twirling the blood red rose in his fingers, sniffing at its fragrant aroma. "I wonder what for… Well… I'll ask when I see her in class."

Swinging out of bed, he went to take a warm shower before changing into his uniform.

He left the estate as he straightened out his tie, taking his schoolbag with him.

--

When he arrived at Honey's to pick him up, he noticed that the young third-year was late.

_Strange,_ he thought, _Mitsukuni should be here by now. He's never late, only early or on time. I wonder where he could be? Would Kazumi's interview have anything to do with it? Hmm… doesn't seem too likely, so I suppose not. _

"Hmmm…" he murmured, "should I go in and check out where he is?"

As he was about to step out, a servant of the Haninozuka Estate came out and as Mori rolled down his window, the servant handed him a note.

"Master Morinozuka," he said.

After one brief glance at the note, he urged the driver to continue to the academy.

The note had read in flawless handwriting:

--

_"__Hi Takashi, hi Kazumi,_

_I'm sorry that if when you come to pick me up I'm not there. I have some important business to take care of, so I'll see you guys at school, 'kay? Usa-chan says hi too! _

_~ Mitsukuni __"_

_--_

_So that proves that he _can't_ be with Kazumi training, or else he wouldn't refer to her as if she was with me,_ Mori thought. _Well… things should clear up once I get to school. After all… if I don't have time in class to ask them, I can ask at the Host Club before the guests arrive._

--

When he arrived at the classroom, he found Honey sitting at his desk, swinging his legs back and forth playfully as he the young Haninozuka heir saw the taller student walk in, raising an arm.

"Good morning Takashi!" he exclaimed loudly. Then he peered behind his cousin and asked, "Where's Kazu-chan?"

"Not sure. I woke up and she was gone. She left me a note saying she had an interview," he explained quietly, "She'll probably show up soon."

As if on cue, the now-18-year-old walked in through the door, a tired smile on her face.

"Good morning," she said as she went over to Mori and Honey.

"Good morning Kazu-chan!" the young-looking child exclaimed, "Where were you?"

With a sure smile, she answered, "At a job interview at this café. Because I got the job, I'm afraid I can't come to the host club after school anymore. That's when I have my shifts."

"Awww… so you won't be coming anymore?" Mitsukuni whined.

She shook her head. "When you guys are taking some time off sometime, you're welcome to come see me at the café. It's the one near the Academy. You know, the one on the gift card your mother gave me, Takashi?" she mentioned.

"Yeah," he said. "So _that's_ where you're working now?"

She nodded with a smile, speaking quietly to him, "I don't want you to support me _all_ the time. You have _no idea_ how guilty I feel already."

Mori felt the need to kiss her, to hold her in his arms, but he very well knew he couldn't; not while he was in the middle of the classroom. Shaking his head, he replied, "You shouldn't feel guilty. I spent it on you because I love you."

She smiled almost sadly. "That shouldn't be an excuse for me. It's time I start supporting myself. You and the rest of the guys have already given me so much. Now I should find a way to give back to all of you."

"You don't have to do that, Kazumi," he said.

"I know, but I _also_ know that I _should_ be getting a job. Can't sit around all day," she said with a smile, leaning closer to whisper to him, "I love you too."

--

After school, Kazumi went off to the café for her shift, while Mori and Honey went off to the host club.

"Mori-senpai! Honey-sempai!" Tamaki exclaimed cheerfully before Kyoya peered behind them.

"Where's Kazumi-senpai?" the vice-president queried.

"At her part-time job," Honey answered cheerfully. "She won't be coming back to the host club anytime soon until she has a day off. Not to mention she's working part-time on the weekends too, so she might not have time to hang-out with us."

Haruhi's eyes look saddened. "It must be hard for her to struggle like that. She doesn't want Mori-senpai to support her 24/7, and so she wants to work hard at this herself. In addition, she has to keep up her grades like me so that she can keep and continue the scholarship. Not to mention exams are coming up soon."

Mori felt a surge of pain in his heart. Was that how Kazumi was surviving? Wouldn't she feel pressured to succeed? How could she cope by herself? Why didn't she lean on him for help?

"But why wouldn't she say something to Takashi?" Honey murmured, "Or any of us? She knows we'd help her no matter what."

"Cause Kazumi isn't that sort of person to be too dependent on anyone," Mori said quietly, glancing away.

Tamaki smiled sadly. "She won't be willing to come to us even if she was on the verge of desperation," he added.

"Which is why I've been checking on her bank accounts for the past while during her coma," Kyoya announced. "I've made sure that no one has tried to scam her money while she's unable to take care of it. In addition, even _if_ there was some rapid decrease that I overlooked, I would take care of it without her knowing, so I'd advise you all not to mention this to her."

Haruhi smiled at the vice-president. "You really _are_ a nice guy, Kyoya-senpai," she commented.

"Hey, we should go visit her at the café sometime," Kaoru suggested.

Hikaru nodded in agreement. "How about next Sunday? She'd probably already be best friends with all the employees by then, so she wouldn't get in trouble for hanging out with us," he suggested.

"Let's do it!" Tamaki cheered, "Let Operation 'Visit Kazumi-senpai At Work' commence next Sunday!"

--

_Well… the flow of customers has been steady lately ever since I started working here, according to Yuki, _Kazumi thought as she wiped a tabletop. Her boss, Yuki, had seemed pretty happy after he immediately hired her after her job interview the previous week on Friday morning. She was required to wear a black and white maid uniform that made her look super cute, and the somewhat-poufy dress went just to her knees.

She was working at 'Café no Yuki', obviously named after her boss, secondly because the 'Snow Café' sounded pretty cool. The interior walls were pink and peach coloured, with white round and square tables with pretty white chairs with a red heart near the top of the chair on both sides. The café sold different delicious coffees and cappuccinos, as well as wonderful cakes and other tasty treats, all made by the café pastry cook from England; Wesley Smith. His mother was Japanese, and his father was English, so that was how he eventually came to become the Café no Yuki's pastry chef. Kazumi had become great friends with him and all the other employees after the first 5 days, with the exception of one maid.

"You're doing well this week, Kazumi," her blonde-haired boss mentioned as he walked by, wearing a sleeveless black shirt and casual jeans. "A lot of the male customers request you, not to mention give you excellent feedback. We're getting a lot more regular customers lately. Keep up the great work and I'll give you a bonus on this week's pay check."

Kazumi smiled cheerfully. "Thanks Mr. Sakuragi!" she exclaimed.

He smiled back, teasingly ruffling her hair. "Call me Yuki, or 'Boss'. We're all friends here, aren't we? Let's be a little more familiar this way. Right, Kazumi?"

Nodding, she looked over at the doorway as the bell hanging against it jingled every time the door opened.

"Morning Kazumi!" her relatively-new friend Sakura Nakamura exclaimed cheerfully, brushing her shoulder-length brown hair away from her face, "Morning boss!"

"Good morning Sakura," both of them replied simultaneously.

"How are you both this fine Sunday morning?" she inquired, a huge smile on her face while her pale green eyes glittered.

Kazumi grinned back. "Well… my boyfriend left with his friends early this morning. Apparently they have some big plans today. I trust them, therefore I know they aren't going to be doing anything stupid. Then I had a peaceful breakfast and a nice walk here." _Mori mentioned about something special,_ she added mentally.

"Well… nothing to complain about," Yuki agreed, looking at his watch. "Okay… we open in 5 minutes. I'll go make sure Wesley's all ready with the cakes. You guys get ready."

"Got it boss," they both said in union as he walked off to the white double door kitchen.

Sakura grabbed a cloth and began helping Kazumi wipe down the tables.

"So… when am I going to have a chance to meet your boyfriend?" Sakura teased.

Kazumi's cheeks reddened. "I don't know. I'll introduce you the next time he comes to the café," she answered honestly. "How about you?"

She shook her head. "I don't have a boyfriend yet. But there's this cute guy I really like. At the moment we're just friends, but I want to take it a step further and tell him that I like him."

"What's holding you back?" she inquired curiously, "Has he shown signs of liking you back?"

Sakura shrugged. "I just… I guess I'm just too nervous. Every time I manage to convince myself to tell him, the words won't come out. Yeah… well… I'd like to _think_ that he has feelings back. Sometimes he's really protective of me, and other times he's really nice to me and all."

Kazumi smiled at the seemingly simple dilemma. " Then just tell him when you guys are alone together and just try to act a little more casual about it. It'll seem more natural," she advised. "I met my boyfriend in class, but it wasn't until he saved my life that we admitted that we liked each other."

"Awww… that's so cute," she sighed, "I wish _we_ could have met and confessed like that."

As the clock chimed 8o'clock, Sakura and Kazumi both looked up at it before looking back at each other.

"I guess its time to get started. The customers will start piling in soon," Sakura said. "Are the other girls helping Wesley out?"

Kazumi nodded. "I volunteered to be out here cleaning the countertops before the customers started arriving," she replied easily.

--

Within the first half hour, lots of people piled into the café, sending Kazumi and the other maids circling around all the tables in a huge flurry. They all wore a special shoulder bag for extra change and tips. They were worn on the opposite shoulder and the black bag hung against their hips.

Two hours later, suddenly a high and sweet voice piped up from the doorway as it opened. "Hello!"

_Oh no… it _can't_ be…_ Kazumi thought, turning slowly towards the doorway in dread. _Was _this_ what Mori meant by 'something special'? A visit to my workplace? A visit to a "commoner" café?_

Blinking, she found that she was indeed correct. The entire host club stood at the doorway, who the girls were gawking at, while the guys just stared at them in annoyance. Either that or they were too busy staring at all the female employees in their maid uniforms.

Sighing, Kazumi went to the entrance and bowed to them, her dark chocolate-coloured tray pressed against her chest in earnest.

"Good morning, you would like a table for how many?" she greeted formally.

"Good morning, Kazumi-senpai!" Tamaki exclaimed, "You look so adorable in that maid uniform!"

Honey nodded. "Tama-chan's right, you look so cute!" he agreed.

"Yeah, you look great!" Haruhi added cheerfully.

Hikaru and Kaoru grinned mischievously while leaning towards her. "It's not often that we get to see you dressed up so adorably, Kazumi-senpai," they commented in union.

Mori offered her a soft smile. _I'd never imagined that you would look even more adorable than I had thought,_ he contemplated. _It really suits you._

"A table for 7, thank you," Kyoya answered, "and you really _do_ look great in that, Kazumi-senpai."

Kazumi shifted uneasily. "Thanks," she replied, grabbing 7 menus and leading them to a rectangular table with cushion seats along both sides. "So… what are you guys doing here?"

"Well… it was Hika and Kao-chan's ideas to come pay you a visit at work last week," Mitsukuni explained, "and then Tama-chan and the rest of us agreed on it."

"Oh…" she murmured, "so _that's_ why Mori mentioned that something special was going to happen today. You guys were going to come visit me at work…"

"Kazumi!" Yuki called to her, standing at the door of the kitchen, "Can you come take these to table's 8 and 15?"

"Coming!" she called back, turning back to her friends, "Call me when you've decided what to order." Then she gracefully skipped away to her boss and to the kitchen.

"It looks like she's enjoying herself here," Hikaru commented as they all watched her and her blond boss talk.

"Who _is_ that guy she's talking to?" Kaoru murmured as they watched Kazumi laugh wholeheartedly from afar at what the older boy had said.

Haruhi observed him carefully as he watched Kazumi disappear into the kitchen. "I think that's her boss."

Within moments, she returned, carrying a tray of various cakes with one hand, navigating around the tables and setting them down on Table's 8 and 15, where the guys handed her a tip. Thanking them, she slipped the extra cash into her bag pocket for tips and went back to the host club.

"So… have you guys decided what you want?" she inquired, pulling out her pen and pad of paper.

"We'll take this, this, this, oh, these few, this, this, this, and… oh, this one too!" Honey exclaimed, pointing at so many of the choice selections. "And we want this one, this one, and this one too! Ooh and two of these!"

Kazumi struggled to keep up with the child's order, and by the end, she looked a little tired.

"Um… is that all? Anything to drink?" she added warily.

"Well… I guess we'll each have your finest coffee," Kyoya said. "Unless there are any alternatives that you guys would rather have, please feel free to correct me."

They shook their heads with smiles.

Kazumi looked puzzled at the rather large order. "Well… I'll be back with your coffees in a moment, but as for the cakes… it'll take a little longer." _I'm sure Wesley will be a little surprised by the large order,_ she added silently, _oh well…_

"So are you enjoying working here, Kazumi-senpai?" Haruhi asked.

The third-year smiled. "Yes, I've made many new friends, and the customers are very nice to me and give me sometimes unreasonably large tips," she answered.

Tamaki cocked his head to the side. "What's a tip? Is it advice?" he inquired.

Both she and Haruhi shook their heads.

"It's when a customer gives their server extra money for their services. Usually it's a common courtesy, but if a thoughtful customer really liked the service they received, they give larger tips," Haruhi explained.

"Ack!" Tamaki exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. "That's so sad… Customers feel sorry for the employees and give them extra money."

"Oh! No! Tamaki! Please don't cry!" Kazumi exclaimed quickly, "I'm going to get into-"

"KAZUMI!" a strict voice yelled, causing all the customers in the café to stare at him.

_Oh no… too late…_ Kazumi thought miserably as she slowly turned to see her stern assistant boss Kazuma Higashi stomped over to her.

Kazuma wore a dark brown cotton jacket, and dark blue pants that reached just below his ankles. He had short dark brown to nearly black hair, and piercing blue eyes.

"Did you read Rule #4 in the employee handbook about making customers cry?" he inquired, glaring at the student.

She cringed. "Y-Yes, Mr. Higashi," she stammered, turning back to Tamaki, bowing, "I-I'm sorry, Sir."

"Now get back to work!" Kazuma hissed, "You're lucky that you're a popular maid, Kazumi, or else I'll tell Yuki about this incident."

Immediately Kazumi hurried off to the kitchen to continue and fill in the orders.

The assistant manager turned back to the host club. "Please forgive our employee's rude behaviour, I'll ensure it won't happen again." He apologized.

"N-No! I-It was my fault completely!" Tamaki said immediately.

"Uh huh, yeah, sure," Kazuma responded, crossing his arms across his chest standoffishly. "Anyway, please enjoy your pastries and coffee when they arrive."

Without another word, he left back into the kitchen.

"Wow… I hope Kazu-chan is okay," Honey said, "that guy seemed harsh on her."

Tamaki had a guilty look on his face. "Now I feel guilty for getting Kazumi-senpai get into trouble."

Four minutes later, Kazumi came back out with a tray of teacups filled with coffee. Quickly setting them out in front of her friends, they all hesitated to speak to her after what happened.

"I-I'm sorry, Kazumi-senpai," Tamaki choked quietly.

She blinked at him. "For what?"

"For getting you in trouble," he replied guiltily.

"Oh… that…" she sighed, "don't worry about it. I'll explain to you guys later. We'll discuss it over my one hour lunch break later. In the meantime, enjoy your coffee!"

Apparently cheerfully skipping away, Kazumi returned through the kitchen and glared at Kazuma. "I told you you'd overdo it!" she scolded. "Now he feels guilty because he thinks I got in trouble with you."

"Oh… but I thought I was doing such a good job as a pretending to be a mean assistant boss," he sighed.

"Yeah, _too_ good," she retorted sharply. "I'm afraid I have no choice but to blow your 'mean assistant boss' cover to them."

He looked at her with a puzzled look. "Why? Do you know them?"

"_Yes_," she snapped. "One of them is my boyfriend, and the rest of them are my friends."

"Ohh…" he mouthed. "So your _boyfriend_ is the tall blonde one?"

She shook her head. "The really tall black haired stoic-looking one," she corrected, smiling as she noticed Yuki standing behind the assistant boss. "Now… I'm thinking I should tell Yuki that you're being mean to my friends…"

He raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her. "You wouldn't," he challenged.

She grinned. "I would," she said, "and I already have."

Yuki crossed his arms and stated, "Are you being mean to Kazumi's friends, Kazuma?"

Kazuma jumped in surprise. "I-I-I never _meant_ to," he stammered, trying to defend himself. "I was just trying to look assertive."

Kazumi rolled her eyes, a little unimpressed. "Yeah, so assertive that you catch the attention of everyone in the café while you're yelling at me for making a customer cry though I _didn't_. My friend Tamaki is very emotional, and it was a… sensitive border subject we were discussing," she explained to her boss.

"What subject would this be?" he inquired.

"Um… well… pretty much most of the guys that I hang out with are hierarchy, and so… my other friend and I were discussing the idea of tipping your waiters and waitresses…" she trailed off uneasily, twiddling her thumbs together as she kept the round tray under her arm.

Yuki blinked. "I'm sorry… but _what_?!" he exclaimed. "Okay… now _what_ school did you say you went to?"

"Ouran Academy's High School…" she said in a quiet voice, "and my friends out there make up the infamous Ouran High School Host Club…"

Both Kazuma and Yuki blinked at her, wide-eyed.

"WHAT?!" they both practically screamed at her, making her jump. "YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH THE OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB?!?!?!?"

Kazumi shrunk away from the two bosses. "Man, do you guys have to yell? I'm right in front of you."

"Oh… now I think I may be in _some_ trouble," Kazuma commented.

Rolling chocolate eyes, she shook her head. "No way, cause Tamaki's just _way_ too emotional for his own good. Not to mention he can sometimes be dense to anything related to himself," she retorted. "And the other guys are nice to me. Especially my boyfriend, he spoils me a little too much. That's why I decided to start coming here to work. Can't let him support me all the time, you know?"

"But still," Yuki insisted, "being friends with all those rich guys must be like… so cool!"

The third-year student shrugged. "It's their individual personalities that makes me like them so much. I really don't care how rich they are. I like them for them, just like I like you guys for being you."

Both flushed in embarrassment.

"Hey Kazumi!" Wesley called. "You can take all these cakes over to table 3, there will be more on the way, but these should keep the customers busy."

She walked over and as she set them onto her tray, she replied with a laugh, "I know those customers, and so believe me… these cakes will be done within 5 minutes." _Knowing Honey, of course,_ she added mentally.

* * *

**Well... I hope you guys like it!**

**PS: there will be a comedy oneshot coming out soon of OHSHC from me..... sooonnnnn......**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	19. Incident

**Hmm... been a while since I updated THIS story. Now things are getting a little more complex when a certain student from a rivalling rich school seemingly threatens Kazumi.... hmmm... what does he want with her?**

**Sorry to all those who were waiting for the next (aka this) chapter! **

**PLEASE R&R!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran High School Host Club (c) Bisco Hatori  
: Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! (c) Hiro Fujiwara  
Claimer: everything else (c) me**

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Incident

Walking back out, Kazumi swiftly balanced the tray until she reached her friends, setting down her tray and removing the plates of cake.

"So how do you like your coffee so far?" she inquired.

"It's actually not too bad for commoner's coffee," Hikaru commented.

Haruhi smiled. "It's delicious."

"Well… we actually ground the beans ourselves," she replied, "and we serve it at a cheap and affordable price. And as for the cakes, we have an excellent pastry chef," she said. "I'll come back and refill your cups in a moment."

"Kazumi," Mori addressed, causing her to look at him, "don't overwork yourself."

She smiled, nodding. "Don't worry." Turning to another table to clear it, she wiped down the table and placed the dirty dishes onto her tray, taking it back.

What she didn't know was that Hisana Yamiguchi, another employee working at the café, had mopped up the floor right in front of the doors and the floor was really wet. There wasn't any 'wet floor' sign in sight, and poor Kazumi was about to become victim to this floor. With a cut-off yelp, Kazumi's foot slipped and she crashed to the floor, the dishes smashing into pieces as she landed on her back, other dishes landing on top of her.

"Kazumi!" Takashi exclaimed, running over to his fallen girlfriend with the rest of the host club.

"O-Oww…" she murmured, slowly trying to sit up as Kazuma and Yuki followed out of the kitchen. "I-I'm okay…"

"Senpai, are you alright?" Kaoru demanded as Kyoya took out his cell phone.

"No, Kyoya, don't," she breathed painfully. "You don't need to call Dr. Hitsumori, or _any_ doctor for that matter. I-I'm fine."

"Kazumi, what happened?" Yuki demanded as he and Kazuma kneeled down next to her, suddenly nearly slipping themselves.

"What? Why is the floor wet?" Kazuma inquired.

"Cause I mopped it," Hisana stated unmoved, looking over at them with mop and bucket in hand. "I meant to put a 'wet floor' sign, but I thought it wasn't needed. Guess I was wrong."

Both Kazuma and Yuki seemed angered by her heartlessness and rather cold tone.

"Someone could have gotten really hurt," Kazuma scolded. "Kazumi could have gotten a concussion."

Kazumi tried to stand up, holding onto Mori's arm. "Guys, its okay. I'm fine," she assured. She bit back a wince as she felt pain and aching within her left ankle. She must have twisted it when she fell.

"Are you sure?" Hikaru asked.

"Take the rest of the day off," Yuki ordered, looking at the Ouran Host Club after asking Sakura to bring Kazumi's coat. "You guys must be the Ouran Host Club Kazumi's mentioned. Do you mind taking her home? I'm worried she might have gotten a concussion."

"Really, guys, I'm okay," Kazumi insisted, brushing off water and dirt on her outfit. "Oh… I'll have to get this dry-cleaned later. I guess I'll head home and get changed from this."

Kazuma leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Don't worry. Yuki and I will talk to Hisana," he informed her as Yuki disappeared back into the kitchen.

Sakura returned with Kazumi's black trench coat and draped it around her friend's shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay, Kazumi?" she asked.

The third-year student nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sakura," she said as Yuki came back out with a box in a plastic bag.

"Here, these are freshly baked," he offered. "Relax, okay?"

She couldn't help but smile at his kindness as she took the box from him. "Thanks boss," she replied before she left with the host club, Kyoya leaving the cash and bill on the counter.

- - - -

All the way to Kazumi's apartment, Mori kept one tight and protecting arm around his girlfriend's waist. He and the others were worried, and a little confused.

"Okay, give me 10 minutes," Kazumi announced after unlocking and opening her door.

"We'll be next door at Haruhi's," Hikaru and Kaoru said in union with mischievous grins.

Haruhi sighed. "Fine," she agreed reluctantly.

Kazumi disappeared into her apartment as the rest of the host club went to Haruhi's. All except Mori. Standing worriedly in front of Kazumi's door, he decided to follow her in after 3 minutes.

"Kazumi?" he called quietly, seeing that she had left the box of cakes on the kitchen counter.

There was no reply, and it seemed a little too quiet. Continuing in, he knocked gently on the doorframe of her bedroom.

"D-Don't come in!" Kazumi shouted, wincing at something.

Immediately hearing the pain in her voice, Mori opened the door slightly, calling back in, "Kazumi? Are you alright?"

"Okay, come in," she sighed in defeat, as if she just gave up.

Opening the door, he saw her dressed in a white spaghetti-strap dress and rubbing gently at her swelling left ankle. A first-aid box sat beside her as it seems she had rummaged through it.

"Kazumi," he murmured, kneeling down next to her and taking a look at her ankle, "did this happen when you fell?"

She nodded. "I didn't want you guys to worry, so I tried to hide it."

Taking out medicinal cream and white bandages, he tenderly rubbed the medicine on the swelling flesh, his grip on her leg loose and his fingers brushing over her soft skin.

"You should have told me," he told her quietly.

Her eyes dimmed in her shame. "I'm sorry," she said even quieter. "I didn't want you to worry. I knew you were uncomfortable with me doing this job already."

"I worry about your safety, and your health, because I love you," Mori replied.

"I know," she sighed, "and I love you too."

Ever so gently, he wound the bandages around her ankle, binding it tightly as to not let her get hurt any further. After washing his hands of the medication, he hugged her.

"Don't ever hesitate to tell me if you're hurt or anything like that, okay?" he informed her.

She gave him a sad smile. "If that will really make you feel better," she half-promised.

"It will," he guaranteed, closing the gap between their lips and kissing her deeply, his hands running down her back till he reached her waist, where he wound his arms around her.

As they pulled apart, she carefully stood up, testing her foot as Mori supported her by the shoulders.

"It's okay, Mori. I'm fine now," she reassured. "I can walk around for a bit, but probably not for too long without any rest. I'll send in my uniform to the dry cleaners later."

He still looked a little concerned as they left her apartment to next door.

"Okay guys, I'm ready," she announced, blinked at the sudden strange, strange scene in front of them.

For some strange, strange reason, Tamaki was hunched over Haruhi, Hikaru and Kaoru grinning, with Honey's eyes wide and Kyoya looking bored.

"Okay… did we miss something?" Kazumi commented.

Hikaru and Kaoru burst out laughing, causing both Tamaki and Haruhi's already-red faces to redden even more.

"We made the boss trip onto Haruhi," Hikaru chuckled.

"And just with a banana peel too!" Kaoru continued.

Kazumi rolled her eyes, hastily stepping in carefully to help Tamaki and Haruhi up.

"You both okay?" Mori inquired.

They nodded, not saying anything as they avoided each other's gaze.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kyoya inquired, noticing that Kazumi was walking with a slight limp. "Senpai, are you hurt?"

"Uh… it's nothing serious," she reassured, trying to keep her tone light and easygoing.

Mitsukuni walked over to her, staring up at her with huge honey-brown eyes. "Are you _sure_ you're okay, Kazu-chan? You know we could always just take you to one of Kyo-chan's hospitals for you to get a proper check-up."

"Really, it's no big deal," Kaoru agreed.

"We could always just call a limo over to pick us up," Hikaru finished.

"N-No! No," she replied hastily, a little nervous now at how crazy ideas could pop into those guys' minds over such a small thing. She decided to try directing the subject away from her ankle."Well… why don't you guys all come over back next door to my place and we'll have cake and tea. I'll explain Kazuma's strange attitude to you guys at the same time."

- - -

After returning back next door to Kazumi's apartment, Haruhi and Mori were more than helpful in taking care of preparing the tea and cakes, bringing the box over to the square table in the main living room. Haruhi brought over the tea, setting it down on the table.

"Thanks Haruhi, thanks Mori, you guys really didn't have to take your time to do that. I'm sorry I couldn't do it myself," Kazumi apologized.

"Really, it's no problem," Haruhi replied easily.

"Now… about your assistance boss, Kazuma Higashi," Kyoya began. "He seems to be intelligent."

"Kyoya, please don't do a background check on all of the other employees there," Kazumi warned knowledgably.

He smiled a dark smile at her. "Of course I will, Senpai," he said defiantly. "You know me far too well."

"Anyway, Kazuma plays the hard assistant boss, at least, _tries_ to," Kazumi explained. "It's supposed to help contrast against my boss Yuki's kind-hearted nature. It's kinda like a different kind of hosting in itself, you know, like a 'bad-boy type' and a 'protective-older-brother type'. So that's why we all promised to keep that special façade for him. I guess that failed after what happened today."

Half an hour later, they had finished their cake and went through about a pot and a half of tea. Now their topic was suddenly about the incident at the café.

"Yeah, I can't believe that girl just was so heartless," Hikaru agreed.

"Who is she?" Kaoru inquired.

"That would be Hisana Yamiguchi," Kazumi answered. "I'm not quite sure what she has against me... and the others, for that matter, but… we all just try to stay out of her way."

"But she was _so_ mean to you, Kazu-chan!" Honey protested.

She smiled. "It's alright, Honey, it's probably just-"

Suddenly the phone rang, and Kazumi rose from her seat.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said, heading over to the phone and picking it up.

"Hello? Yes, this is the Shirozaki residence," she answered.

Mori rose to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his head on her opposite shoulder as he pressed his chest against her back.

"Mr. Igarashi? Uh… yeah… this is Miss Shirozaki…" she murmured, pulling away from him as she walked away from him, causing him to worry. "No, t-that's impossible. Y-You _wouldn't_! Fine… Yeah, um… I take my summer holiday in a few days… my passport has already been renewed. Very well, okay. Yeah, I'll speak to you then. Yes, goodbye."

After she hung up, she walked back over to her now-worried friends.

"Kazumi…" Mori said quietly, "who was that?"

"Don't worry about it," she assured. "Now… um… where were we?"

He walked over and looked at her worriedly. "Kazumi…" he began.

All of a sudden, her vision swam and she fell backwards, Mori sweeping in to catch her.

"Kazumi!" he exclaimed in panic.

"Kazu-chan!" Honey shouted. "Kazu-chan!"

'Kazumi-senpai!" the rest of them (except Kyoya) cried.

Takashi shook his girlfriend, trying to wake her. "Kazumi! Kazumi! Wake up!"

Kyoya began scribbling furiously in his little black book as he approached them. "All of you, come with me. We'll head back to my place and I'll do a check on who was that caller."

Very carefully, Mori sat Kazumi's body up against him, her head lolling on his shoulder limply. "Who the hell was that person on the phone?"

"I don't know, but Kazumi-senpai didn't seem too pleased about it," Hikaru replied.

"Maybe its someone that she knows from before?" Haruhi suggested.

"In any case, I've called a limo to come, they should be here soon," Kyoya announced. "Is Kazumi-senpai completely unresponsive?"

Mori looked down at her. "Kazumi, Kazumi," he muttered, shaking her gently as he tried to wake her.

"W-Whoa…" she mumbled, her eyes just barely opening. "W-What happened?"

"You kinda just fainted," Kaoru replied. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm… not really…" she sighed, closing her eyes.

Kyoya kneeled down to speak clearly to her. "Senpai, can you please tell us who was that person you were speaking to on the phone?"

"Mmm… you guys don't need to… worry about… him…" she mumbled quietly.

Hikaru grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Please, Kazumi-senpai, we need to know. Who _was_ it?"

"His… name's…" she muttered, the others leaning closer to catch her words, "Tora… Igarashi…"

"What does he want with you?" Mori inquired her quietly. "Why did he call?"

"…mail…" she breathed before slipping unconscious again.

Very gently, Takashi lifted her into his arms and held her close, her head tilted towards his chest.

_Hmm… blackmail?_ Kyoya thought in wonder. _Was that what she was trying to say?_

"Well… whoever this Tora Igarashi is," Haruhi said, "we've got to figure out what he wants with Kazumi-senpai and why she passed out."

But even as she said that, they all knew one thing; whatever Tora Igarashi wanted with Kazumi wasn't good.

- - - -

"Kazumi… are you awake?" Mori murmured as he saw her eyes beginning to flutter open.

"Mmm…" she moaned, "where am I?"

Honey bounced into the corner of her vision. "You're at Kyo-chan's place," he told her. "Kyo-chan, Tama-chan, Kao-chan, Hika-chan and Haru-chan are trying to find out who Tora Igarashi is."

She snapped up in bed, a hand on her forehead. "No!" she exclaimed before wincing as the room spun briefly. "N-No… it's alright. Tora Igarashi is just some guy I know… 'kay?"

They shook their heads.

"No, it's _not_ okay, Kazumi," Mori said sternly. "We're going to find out who this Tora Igarashi is and _what_ he wants with you."

Kyoya continued typing at his laptop. "Tora Igarashi, son of a large company. Goes to Miyabigaoka High School, the student council president. Wealthy status, etc…."

"Where are you planning on going, Kazu-chan?" Honey inquired with large eyes.

Sighing, she rubbed her neck, closing her eyes. "France… I'm going to France."

* * *

**OMG THAT MEANS TAMAKI CAN'T GO!!!! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Well... things are taking a turn for the interesting. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!**


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